Genevieve Taylor Obituary
Genevieve (Sparwasser) Taylor, 103, passed peacefully from this life on May 14, 2023, surrounded by family at home. Genevieve was born in 1920 on a small farm on the high plains of Kansas, the fifth child of Herman Jacob Sparwasser and Nellie (March) Sparwasser. She spent most of her childhood in Glasco, Kan., coming of age through The Great Depression and the Dustbowl, and there she grew to love the Kansas prairie. Genevieve spent her days reading, writing poetry, taking two-mile treks into the countryside with her wooden wagon and fox terrier named Snookie.
In high school, Genevieve studied to be a teacher, and taught in the rural schools, eventually attending business college and becoming a comptometer operator. In 1941, Genevieve attended a dance where she met a handsome young man and her future husband, Woodrow W. "Woody" Taylor. The two married in 1942, raised four sons and traveled extensively. Woody preceded her in 1997, and at the age of 74, Genevieve embarked on a 20-year career as a business owner, taking buying trips and purchasing antiques which she sold at her booth in Andover Antique Mall.
Throughout her life, Genevieve was privileged to travel throughout the United States, hiking the canyons, and camping in the national forests, but she felt most at home on the Kansas plains. She will miss her beloved sons, her days spent at the Antique Mall visiting with customers, the first wood violets of spring and the call of the western meadowlark. Preceding her in death are her husband Woodrow Taylor, son Scott, sisters Roberta, Thelma, Cleda, and Nadelyne. Surviving are three sons: Michael of Annapolis, MD; David and Mark of Wichita, seven grandchildren, one great granddaughter, and sister Carmen, of Fort Collins, CO.
Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Friday, June 2, 2023;. Funeral Service will be at 12:30 pm, Saturday, June 3, 2023, both at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary. Burial will follow at 2:00 pm at Old Mission Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with the Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS 67219.
