E. Taylor Patriarch of Basin, Dies at 84

E. Taylor Patriarch of Basin, Dies at 84

From Farmington Daily Times August 10, 1953

Elmer F. Taylor, 84, who for more than 60 years has been identified with pioneering and progress of San Juan County, died here Sunday morning at 6:30 at his home, 615 W. Apache.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 10 am at the Farmington LDS chapel and interment will be in Kirtland cemetery. Taylor had been an invalid for the past five years and had been a patient at a rest home in Provo, Utah. He was brought to his home here on Saturday and died the following morning.

Taylor came to the valley from Utah, saw the possibility of dry land wheat growing and pioneered in that project at Dry Slide just north of the state line on the La Plata river. He saw the need for a storage reservoir to supply both New Mexico and Colorado farmers along the La Plata valley with water and succeeded in getting an audience with President Roosevelt during WPA days which eventually led to an OK on the reservoir. The project later was sidetracked and further development today must await authorization with other Basin and county water conservation projects.

Many of the early day homes and buildings in the county were constructed of brick burned and laid by Taylor and Sons and he was an excellent craftsman in the bricklaying line. He was a statesman who represented his county as a representative and as a county commissioner. He was one of the early leaders in the movement to secure a primary law for the state. He served his church, the church of Latter Day Saints, as a bishop and a patriarch, and as stake president. Survivors include his wife, five sons, Bobbie K. Taylor, La Plata, Clinton, Lloyd, Merrill and E. A. Taylor, all of Farmington; and five daughters, Mrs. W.F. Christensen and Mrs. James Collyer of Farmington, Mrs. Hugh Foutz and Mrs. Arthur Tanner of Kirtland and Mrs. Evelyn Radcliffe of Salt Lake City; 48 grandchildren