Bonnie June Johns Taylor, lifelong resident of Puxico, passed away at the age of 71 on February 3, 2019 at her home surrounded by the people she was most proud of in her life, her family. She was born to Vernon and Jessamine “Tiny” Johns on June 27, 1947. On August 13, 1966, she married her High School sweetheart, Chester Dale Taylor at Brown General Baptist Church. Bonnie joined the church when she was 16 years old giving her a membership of 56 years.

Bonnie graduated from Puxico High School in 1965. She attended Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College accumulating 63 college hours. She worked as a loan secretary and teller for First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff for twelve years in Puxico and served as Assistant Manager of their Wal-Mart facility in Poplar Bluff for five years. In 1995 she left the bank and went to work at the Puxico Elementary Schools first as a Title 1 A. In Puxico Schools early years of joining the computer age, in 1999 she was transferred to the Elementary Computer Lab. There she helped pioneer students in Kindergarten through Fifth grade on how to operate a computer.

Even though she hated deserting Sophomore grandson Wyatt and 6th grade granddaughter, Alivia, Bonnie retired after 17 years from Puxico Schools in May 2012, the same year as grandson Dustin graduated from Puxico High School. Occasionally in her retirement she was privileged to baby sit her first great granddaughter, Rylee Kay, fathered by Bonnie’s first grandson, Scott Taylor. Rylee joined a fifth generation of firsts for her great-great grandmother, Tiny Johns. Bonnie being the first daughter of Tiny Johns, Bonnie’s son David being Tiny’s first grandson, his son Scott being Tiny’s first great grandson and Rylee being the fifth generation and first great –great granddaughter of Tiny.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Dale Taylor of Puxico; two sons and daughters-in-law: Davin and Anna (Reddick) Taylor and Matt & Janell Taylor of Puxico; nine grandchildren: Scott and Heather Taylor of Poplar Bluff, Dustin Taylor and Daniel Danielle, Wyatt Taylor and Jayna Little and Alivia Taylor, Cody and Ashley Swain of Puxico; four great grandchildren: Rylee Kay and Mallie Jo Taylor of Poplar Bluff and Westin Swain and Kimber Rae Taylor of Puxico: Her mother Tiny Johns of Puxico; two sisters: Patti McLean and husband Rick of Puxico and Darlene Johns of Cape Girardeau; two brothers: Larry Johns and wife Debbie of Fruitland and Kevin Johns and wife Janet of Dudley; a special “big brother” Jim Oliver of Puxico; two special sisters: Norma Sifford Sheets of Versailles, IN and Margaret Sifford Binford of Puxico; her auction buddy Rosa Lee Fick of Grand Chain, IL., who she knew when their husbands were in the Marine Corp stationed in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina; her brother-in-law and sisters-in-law: Joyce Hargrove of St. Ann, MO, Mary Taylor of Dudley, Jo Piel of Maryland Heights, MO and Terry and Carolyn Taylor of Dexter as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and a host of friends to mourn her passing.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her father: Vernon Johns; one brother: Glendon Johns, who died when he was nine years old and Bonnie was six; her paternal grandparents Harry and Vallie Revelle Johns; maternal grandparents: Ira and Laycofa Wilfong tucker; and three brothers-in-law: Don Hargrove, Richard Piel and Ferral Taylor.

Visitation will begin at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk on Tuesday at 6:00 pm with a memorial service conducted by the Puxico Auxiliary Post 7822 and visitation following. Funeral services will be on Wednesday at 11:00 AM at the Brown General Baptist Church at Puxico with Rev. Ray Placher and Rev. John Buttry officiating. Burial will be in the Brown Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Bonnie had requested donations for the Brown Cemetery Fund for care and upkeep. Bonnie had been the Secretary/Treasurer since the early 1980’s. Donations for the Brown Cemetery Fund may be mailed to First Midwest Bank, Attention Fayette Moss, P.O. Box 158 Puxico, MO 63960 or the Puxico Auxiliary Post 7822 Scholarship Fund(Bonnie Taylor Scholarship) % President Patti McLean, P.O. Box 212, Puxico, MO 63960. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com