Wiletta Marie Taylor Claunch

November 23, 1914 was a very special day on the Emmett and Betty Taylor farm near Friend, Kansas. Wiletta Marie Taylor was born to parents Joe George Washington and Carolyn Marie (Halsey) Taylor. Carol and Joe were thrilled by the birth of their only child. When Wiletta was eight months old, the Taylor family began the move to Baca County in Colorado. Joe had gone out the year before and bought a relinquishment so he could use the Homestead Program to build a ranch and a future for his young family. The trip took twelve days and during that time Wiletta learned to walk by walking back and forth across her mother and a hired girl's knees as they drove the wagon.
Wiletta survived the great flu epidemic of 1918. Her parents, grandma, and an aunt all became ill and Wiletta was left by herself to tend to them. Her Grandpa Halsey passed food through the window to Wiletta and would sit and cuddle her for a little while. Luckily all survived the flu epidemic which killed many people during that time.
Wiletta grew up on horseback helping herd the family's cow herd. Her favorite memories of childhood were of time spent on the ranch with her beloved daddy. She also loved to play along Buffalo Creek which ran all the time then. She played with her Mama's doll, Helen, but really preferred to be outside playing games, riding horses, or playing with her little dog or the family's cats. Special memories were made when Wiletta was allowed to play with the neighbors such as the Mundell sisters or the Watson children. Wiletta loved to share her many happy stories with her grandchildren.
After graduating from school at the age of fourteen, Wiletta had to wait two years to attend college when she was sixteen. Following in her mother's footsteps, Wiletta became a teacher. She taught for a total of seventeen years and loved seeing former students and having them come visit her.
In July of 1935 Wiletta married her one true love, Henry Claunch. Because of the Dust Bowl Henry and Wiletta took the Taylor's cattle herd to Saguache in an attempt to survive the depression and the Dust Bowl. They were married in Saguache and spent their honeymoon in a tent on the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction, Colorado. The depression years saw Henry and Wiletta living in New Mexico where her only child, son James Joe, was born in April of 1936. They also lived in Washington state and Kansas during these years. Later the little family would return to the Taylor Ranch where Wiletta would spend most of the rest of her life.
Jimmy Joe was the light of his mama's eye and could do absolutely no wrong. This continued throughout his lifetime. Jim was always very ornery and constantly up to mischief. Jamie recalls being in the basement helping Gran clean. Jim came in to torment them for a bit. Wiletta made the mistake of bending over in front of Jim. Jim got that look in his eye and promptly used the hot shot he was carrying on his mama's backside. Things got very exciting then as Wiletta used her strongest curse word yelling, "Damn you, Jim Claunch" continually as she chased him up the basement stairs beating him with the broom. Jim was laughing so hard he couldn't get away from her. Needless to say, Wiletta, Jim nor Jamie ever forgot that episode. Jim would laugh uncontrollably every time he thought of it.
Wiletta's world revolved around her family. She was very proud of her heritage and knew a great deal about her ancestry. She built a great love of family history that has been passed down to multiple generations.
Gran or Grammie loved her grandchildren and was an extremely important part of their lives. Jamie and Craig spent many happy hours with her. Everything from cooking, to digging worms, to exploring the creek were all part of the adventures. Every Friday night was spent with Gran and Gramp eating fish sticks, Kraft macaroni dinner, and of course ice cream was always on the menu! This was Craig's idea of a feast! And then on to the best part of the evening, "The Addams Family" on television. Gramp raised a ruckus but Gran always said, "Let them watch their show, Henry". No small amount of spoiling mixed with a huge dose of love was ever missing from life when Gran was involved.
Wiletta continued to love her grandchildren with the births of her great-grandchildren Kristi and Jessami Claunch and Amanda and Randy McEndree. The much younger great-grandson, Craig, came along when Grammie's struggle with Alzheimer's had begun. She dearly loved him. Much time was spent with Grammie and the great-grands. The kids loved to spend the night with her. Stories were told and memories were made. Grammie loved her great great grandchildren and loved to hold them and talk to them. Sadly they never really got to know her as herself as Alzheimer's had taken much from her by the time they were born.
Wiletta was a bit of a Southern Belle! She always wanted to be dressed perfectly and have her makeup on and her hair fixed. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, hats, etc. were some of her favorite things. She loved shopping and would quickly wear out the poor unfortunate grandchild who was following her around. Wiletta did her housekeeping in a pretty dress and wearing high heels when Jamie and Craig were little. She didn't begin to wear slacks until much later in life.
Wiletta and Henry loved to travel! They visited many parts of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. They traveled several times to Mexico and Canada. Wiletta was extremely excited when she found one branch of her family living in Canada. They quickly became part of her close knit family. Many trips were taken with close friends, Johnny and Lucy Airhart and their daughter, Linda Smallwood. Wiletta held many family reunions at the ranch and later in Lamar at the Cow Palace. She loved gathering extended family and sharing pictures and stories.
Wiletta grew up with a true appreciation of nature and its creatures. She loved almost all animals except snakes and mice. Her last horse still lives on the McEndree's ranch. She would spend hours outdoors with her critters. She would putter around in her yard with a dog or two and between ten and twenty cats following her and "helping" her. Wiletta could make just about anything grow and thrive. One of Wiletta's favorite pets was a badger she raised on a bottle. Jim dug many badger dens for Missy and eventually Wiletta's goal of returning Missy to the wild was met. Wiletta was absolutely thrilled when Missy returned to show her first litter off to her mama. When Wiletta was in her eighties she called Jamie one night giggling. She had gone out to make sure Rocky, her black and white cat, was in the garage for the night. She went out in the dark to the patio and picked up "Rocky" to carry him in the garage. When she set the cat on the freezer by the cat food she discovered she had picked up a skunk and carried it into the garage to feed it. Only Wiletta could do that and not get "skunked"!
To sort of sum it up: Wiletta was an amazing cook who hated cooking. A teacher who loved learning. She was a reader who loved reading and passed that love down for several generations. A lover of the outdoors who loved being on the ranch. She loved her house but hated housework. Wiletta had a great love of music and continued to play the piano until shortly before her passing. Music was one of the few joys in her life that wasn't lost to Alzheimer's. The disease could not take that away and her family loved hearing her play Harbor Lights and Glow Worm among others.
Wiletta was left to mourn the passing of her father and mother, Joe and Carol Taylor, her husband of over sixty years, Henry, and her son and his wife Gloria, and her grandson, Craig.
Left behind to miss her are granddaughter Jamie and Steve McEndree, and granddaughter-in-law Glenna Claunch. Great-grandchildren Kristi (Cameron) Kunselman, Jessami (Jason) Caddick, Amanda McEndree, Randy McEndree, and Craig Moore Claunch. Great-great grandchildren are Kadence and Averie Kunselman and Gage Caddick and soon to arrive Sawyer. Many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends also survive.
Ninety seven years filled with living a life filled with love are a mark of a life well lived. Her life is marked by travel by horse or wagon up to space travel. She drove one of the early day cars and didn't need a license for many years because there was no such a thing. She ended driving by driving her beloved Thunderbirds and after they were no longer made her Lincolns. And finally her life is marked by a family who loved her very much and who will always miss her.