Anita Faye (Ballard) Taylor

Anita Faye (Ballard) Taylor, was born on January 23, 1955 to Gerald and Cleda (McKinney) Ballard in Houston, Missouri. She went home to be with the Lord on May 9, 2012 at her residence in Mtn. Grove, Missouri, following a fifteen month battle with breast cancer.
Anita was saved and baptized at the age of fourteen at the Niangua Youth Camp and continued with a lifelong journey of faith and service.
On May 23, 1975, she was united in marriage to the love of her life, Gene Taylor. To this marriage two daughters were born, Lori Kay and seven years later, Rachel Renae.
When Lori and Rachel were children, she encouraged them in every activity they were involved in. She sat through many band and choir concerts and attended track meets and volleyball games. If her daughters wanted to do an activity, she was always there supporting them.
God blessed her life with seven grandchildren, who referred to her as “Gaga.” This tradition started with her first grandson, Nick, who couldn’t say Grandma, and continued through them all; Dominic, Cassidy, Noah, Bryan, Hannah, and Logan. She loved spending time with each of them and always said each of them was special to her in their own way. She loved her two sons-in-law: Eric Black and Jason Caudill like they were her own sons.
Anita was a longtime member of the First Free Will Baptist Church in Mtn. Grove where she was very involved with many activities in the church. She played the piano for Children’s Church, taught Sunday School classes, and helped in various ways each year with Vacation Bible School. Her biggest passion was the Faith Weaver Friends and Snak and Yak programs on Wednesday evenings. She loved each child she met, as they all loved her in return.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister: Murna Stephenson.
Anita will be greatly missed by her devoted husband of thirty-six years, eleven months and fourteen days: Gene Taylor of their home; her two daughters and their spouses: Lori and Eric Black of Springfield, Missouri, and Rachel and Jason Caudill of Mtn. Grove; her seven grandchildren: Nick, Dominic, Cassidy, Noah, Bryan, Hannah, and Logan; her father and mother-in-law: Bill and Juanita Taylor of Mtn. Grove; her brother-in-law: Jack Stephenson of Mtn. Grove; a niece: Traci Hill and her husband, Tracy, and their daughter, Toschia, of Mtn. Grove; a great-niece: Trestyn Mesimer and her husband, James, and their son, Mavrick, of Mtn. Grove; a nephew: Eric Stephenson and his sons, Cody and David, all of Florida, her aunt: Ruby McKinney, of Mtn. Grove; a sister-in-law: Leatha Smith and her husband, Kenny, and their children, Emily and Derek, all of Willow Springs, Missouri; three nieces: Gloria Waggoner, and her husband, Chris and their children, Devin and Bethany, all of Willow Springs, Missouri, Julie Friedman and her husband, Ben, and their son, Joseph, all of California, and Christy Luckinbill and her husband, Cody, of North Carolina; two nephews: Scott Smith and his wife, Amanda, and their children, Blake, Carson, and Joel, all of Willow Springs, Missouri, and Kevin Smith and his wife, Jessica, and their son, Calvin, all of Couch, Missouri; a brother-in-law: Art Taylor and his wife, Evie, and their children, Erin and Jenni; and a very supportive group of friends and church family too numerous to list. Anita touched many lives. Even though she is now in Heaven, her work on earth will continue through those lives that are changed because of her faithfulness.


Funeral Service: Saturday,

May 12th at 10:00 AM

in the First Free Will
Baptist Church,

Mtn. Grove, MO.


Visitation: Friday,

May 11th from 4:00 PM -

6:00 PM in the First Free Will
Baptist Church, Mtn. Grove, MO
.
Burial: Hillcrest Cemetery



Memorial Contributions: Faith Weaver Friends

Program or The Gideons in c/o the funeral home.