Doris Jean Russom Gray Taylor, 89, of Beaufort, died at 2:30 PM, Monday, October 14, 2019 at Morningside of Beaufort. She was born October 31, 1929 in Selmer, TN, the daughter of a railroad gandy dancer turned small town farmer and persevering and strong natured mother. Dot married JB Taylor on September 24, 1956 and widowed on November 17, 2018. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Charles Gray, father, Ives Russom, mother, Lessie Howell, second mother, Aline Williams, brother, Billy Preslar, son, Douglas Taylor, and grandson, Travis Odom. In hospice care for three months prior to her death, Dot died peacefully with her children beside her.
She leaves her son, Tracy Jeffrey Taylor, with wife, Brenda Lee Taylor, two daughters, Linda Ann Barnard, with husband Charles Barnard, and Delores Jean Taylor, and her two sisters Violet Russom Joyner and Lela Joyner. She has 7 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and 8 great great grandchildren.
Dot was born into a farming family where she learned to survive on animals for subsistence and harvesting the crops for clothes and food. She picked cotton from a young age and would ride to the gin in a wagon with her daddy to get a nickel bag of popcorn. She came from a loving home where her parents openly displayed affection.
Married and widowed at a young age with a small child, Dot worked at a shoe factory when women were just starting to enter the workforce and even saved up enough to buy an genuine Model T car. After meeting JB, a young widowed serviceman with a young daughter, she became a mother of two, and moved to California and then to Charleston, where she bore and raised a son that had an untimely passing. Dot eventually called Beaufort home for over 60 years where she would bear a fourth child and she would diligently take care of there home and family while raising teenage daughters and a young active son.
Dot and JB would later purchase the lot they were renting and began a family rental business to begin a life with her husband getting out of the Navy and working alongside each other. She would work in the properties at night getting them ready for rent while still maintaining a razor sharp focus for all of her loved ones. She made her children know the love she grew up with and admirably loved her husband and family with a passion.
Dot enjoyed crochet, country music and cooking. Most of all, she enjoyed the happiness and laughter of her family and friends. Dot is the glue of the family and holds everyone together with support and encouragement. Long known for her gentle and kind spirit, ability to empathize with immense compassion, strong faith in God and inspirational conversations, Dot will be dearly missed by all that were blessed to have known her.
In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to Agape Hospice Beaufort, 188 Paris Ave, Port Royal SC 29935.
Copeland Funeral Home is handling all arrangements and a funeral service will be held at Grays Hill Baptist Church, 2749 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort, SC 29906 on Monday, October 21, 2019 with service at 10:30 am with an eulogy by Pastor Jim Baker and burial at Beaufort National Cemetary, 1601 Boundary St, Beaufort, SC 29902 at 12 pm.
