Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Taylor, Palmer H. 1911
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Ionia Daily Sentinel, 1 Feb 1911

Palmer H. Taylor Died Tuesday Night

End Came At Walnut Grove Cottage Where He Was Brought Week Ago.

Was Ninety-Two Years of Age and a Pioneer of Ionia County – Oldest Mason in 
Michigan – Funeral Sunday from Presbyterian Church.

Palmer H. Taylor, venerable Ionia pioneer, died last night shortly after six 
o’clock at his home, Walnut Grove cottage, on Lafayette street.  His daughters, 
Mrs. Mary A. Bowen and Mrs. Grace R. McArthur were with him at the time of his 
death.

Mr. Taylor has been confined to his bed since last March at which time he was 
taken to Saranac to the home of his daughter.  About a week ago he was brought 
back here on a cot to end his days in his old home and passed peacefully away 
Tuesday evening.

Palmer H. Taylor came to Ionia from Lockport, New York, arriving on January 31, 
1838, driving a cow the entire distance in twenty-nine days.  He lived on the 
Taylor farm with his parents on the Bellevue road several years following his 
trade of carpenter.  Among the buildings he built was his own father’s house.

He was married to Miss Arabella Jackson, at Monroe, Michigan, October 15, 
1854.  Five children were born, four of whom are now living, George D. Taylor, 
of Grand Rapids, Mrs. Martha Babcock, of Akron, Col., and twin sisters, Mrs. 
Bowen and Mrs. McArthur.  His wife died Mar. 6, 1873, in Ionia.

In politics Mr. Taylor has always been a democrat, casting his first vote for 
Martin Van Buren, in 1840.  He has always refused to accept a nomination for 
office, but served to fill two vacancies in the office of justice of the peace 
in Ionia city.

He was the oldest member of the Presbyterian church organized October 29, 1842, 
under congregational form, was secretary of the Ionia county pioneer 
association for twenty years.  Although having a temporary residence in eleven 
different states, he has always claimed Ionia as his home and closely 
identified himself with its history from the earliest day to the day of his 
death.

He was the oldest Mason in Michigan and has attained a national reputation as 
the “Masonic Poet,” his contributions in verse being sufficient to fill a bound 
volume of 600 pages.

He has filled during his life every office of the Masonic bodies, including 
lodge, chapter, council and commandery.  He conferred the Temple degree on his 
own father, this being the only instance in Masonic history where a son 
conferred this degree on his father.  He has served the grand bodies as junior 
grand warden and grand captain of the host.  Two years ago the grand officers 
and their staff conferred the grand honors on him at his home in this city, a 
distinguished honor never before conferred at a private home in the history of 
the grand lodge of Michigan.  He was also the only living member of the 
illustrious Veterans Masonic association from Michigan whose membership is 
scattered all over the globe and to which the late King Edward belonged.

Mr. Taylor leaves several grandchildren, who are Mrs. George Schaufele, of 
Grand Rapids, Miss Lucy Babcock, of Colorado, Palmer, Francis and George 
McArthur, and one great granddaughter, Grayce Lois Schaufele, of Grand Rapids.

It was when Mr. Taylor was seventeen years old and attending school in New York 
that his father determined to move to Michigan.  At that time anti-Masonic 
excitement was rife and was probably the reason for his change of abode.  
Palmer was given the choice of staying and continuing his school or coming to 
Michigan and chose the latter.  The Taylor cow was shod and driving the animal 
before him, Palmer came through Canada, landing at Ypsilanti.

The family lived there two years before coming to Ionia.  After living on the 
farm across the river they moved to the city in 1860 and lived on Front street 
in what is now known as the Comstock house.  This was traded later for a farm 
on account of Mrs. Taylor’s health and they moved thereon in 1865.  In 1873 
they returned to Ionia.  Mr. Taylor was employed by the D.L. and N. in their 
shops for thirteen years.

His vocation was that of a mechanic although he taught school for one year.

He endured his share of the pioneer privations and was often called upon to 
help those who were sick.  As he has himself expressed it he has sat up with 
the sick, with the dying and dead and has dug heir graves for them.  One rainy 
night he walked from the farm three miles south to the neighborhood of the 
Bellamy mills to sit up with a sick neighbor.

Often he made the trip to Grand Haven by boat after supplies.

Mr. Taylor traced his ancestry back to John Taylor, who came from England in 
1630.

His father was a mechanic and built the barracks at Sackett’s harbor during the 
war of 1812.  Among the descendents of John Taylor were Gen. W. T. Sherman, 
Hon. John Sherman, Rev. Noah Porter, P.T. Barnum and others.

Mr. Taylor became a master mason in 1851 was worshipful master R.A.M. in 1856, 
and K.T. of Ionia commandery in 1862.  He was elected eminent commander April 
25, 1862, the same night that Abraham Lincoln was shot.

The funeral will be attended Sunday afternoon at 2:30 from the Presbyterian 
church, burial in Oak Hill cemetery.


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