Viola Taylor

Viola R. Sutton Taylor, 89 of Mount Vernon, formerly of Selma, Iowa and Rochester, New York, died Thursday, June 16, 2005 at Hallmark Care and Rehabilitation Center, Mount Vernon from a lingering illness. Services 2:00 p.m., Sunday at the Pedrick Funeral Homes in Douds, where the family will greet friends from 1:00 p.m. until service time in the funeral home. Burial will be in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, rural Selma. Surviving Viola is her daughter Virginia (Eugene) Kurtz of Lisbon, a granddaughter Denise (Dan) Zahradnik of Mount Vernon; two great grandchildren: Gabrielle and Blake Zahradnik; and two brothers: David and John Sutton of Rochester, New York. Preceding Viola in death were her parents, her husband Floyd, a daughter Shirley, a grandson Patrick Kurtz, and four brothers: Lewis, Kenneth, Wayne, and Everett Sutton. Viola was born March 31, 1916 to Birge and Cecil Alice Lewis Sutton. She graduated from Selma High School in 1935. Viola worked as a housekeeper and cared for the elderly. On January 23, 1944 she married Floyd Alfred Taylor in Memphis, Missouri. After Virginia was school age, Viola began working part time with Floyd who was a carpenter. She worked a couple of years as a Certified Nurses' Aid in Fairfield. In 1966, she graduated from Indian Hills Community College from the nursing program. Viola worked at an Ottumwa care center for 10 years, retiring at 58 due to health problems. Her husband died on June 10, 1974 from cancer. She moved to Rochester, New York to care for her 91year old mother until her death. In October of 1999, Viola returned to Iowa to be close to her daughter and her family again. Although blind, and the victim of a stroke and Parkinson's, she maintained amazing courage and patience. She will be remembered for her radiant sweet smile. A memorial fund in Viola's honor has been established.