In tribute: Oral Taylor 'real friendly,' 'awesome dad'

May 7—In remembering the life of Oral Taylor, one description sticks out: "He was an awesome dad," daughter Sandra Taylor-Sawyer said. Taylor-Sawyer is one of Elder Oral "Big O" Taylor's six daughters.

Taylor, 91, died April 26. He didn't have a funeral, according to Taylor-Sawyer, he had a "home-going." She said a home-going is for an individual who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

"We know after they have transitioned from this life to the next they are going to be with God," Taylor-Sawyer said.

It is more of a celebration based on Scripture. "When someone is born you're supposed to mourn because they're coming into trouble, and when they die you are to celebrate because they have eternal life."

July 20, 2020, was declared "Oral Taylor Day" in Clovis.

Taylor-Sawyer said she wanted to do something special for her dad's 90th birthday so she asked Clovis Mayor Mike Morris if he would recognize him. "But Mayor Morris took it further and declared it 'Oral Taylor Day' in Clovis," Taylor-Sawyer said.

Taylor's nickname was "Big O." Daughter Retha Taylor-Parsons remembered how her dad got that name.

Taylor-Parsons describes her parents as "real friendly folks." In the 1970s there were some young airmen from Cannon Air Force Base attending First Church of God in Christ and they were invited to come eat dinner at the Taylor home.

"The airmen fell in love with mom and dad and they named him "Big O," after the tires," Taylor-Parsons said.

It was pointed out to Oral Taylor, "Daddy, they are calling you 'Big O.'" Taylor hooked his thumbs in his suspenders and said, "That's me."

Taylor was born July 20, 1930, in Marshall, Texas, not far from the Louisiana state line.

Taylor-Parsons said her father was a farmer and he took various jobs. Bit by bit the jobs kept taking him west. Taylor was such a hard worker when he would get a vacation he would always find another paying job to do during his time off.

"Around 1954 he was sharecropping in Levelland and he was given his own land to farm, dry land. The owner had irrigated land. Dad's dryland crop was great and the owner's irrigated crop wasn't. The owner took Dad's crop," Taylor-Parsons said.

According to the family it was then Taylor resolved his daughters would have a better life if they got an education. Part of his resolution was he would get a job, buy a house and "make sure my daughters graduate from high school."

They all did. Three have college degrees.

Several of Taylor's grandchildren and their spouses have their bachelor's and their master's degrees. Two are licensed social workers.

Taylor loved country music. Taylor-Sawyer said he loved Charley Pride, Daughter Belinda Taylor-Wynn said he liked Johnny Cash. Taylor-Parsons said she never asked him about his country favorites.

"He was eclectic," Taylor-Parsons said. "He just liked country music.

Taylor loved Gospel music too. Daughter LuCinda Taylor-Dawson said his favorite Gospel singer was her husband, Jimmy Dawson.

Another thing about Taylor was he did not yell. "Well maybe he did," Taylor-Sawyer said. "He was stern. He let you know right from wrong. And when he spoke you said how high and saluted."

Some of the stories that made the family laugh revolved around food.

Taylor-Parsons said Taylor and his wife Ruth would be working but they always made sure dinner was on the table.

"One time Dad made pork chops," Taylor-Parsons said. "When Mother came home she was not happy because they were fried, not smothered. So Mother complained 'Why didn't you....' and Dad slapped the table and yelled, 'Shut up gal.'"

It was something out of character for Taylor because he loved his "sweetheart," the daughters said.

There was silence.

"Then we all burst out laughing," Taylor-Parsons said.

Taylor-Sawyer told a story of how one day her father cooked something that she thought was really good.

"He wouldn't tell us what it was until we finished it," Taylor-Sawyer said. "I liked it."

When everyone at the table was finished Taylor revealed that he had served them "mountain oysters."

When asked for a better description his words were direct. Most of us know them as bovine testicles.

Taylor-Sawyer laughed because some of her sisters gagged but Taylor-Sawyer and Taylor-Wynn said they still love to eat them.