Pearl Taylor

Pearl “Pete” (Bryant) Taylor was born on May 6, 1937, in Randolph County, Alabama, the oldest of four children. She went home to be with the Lord on May 13, 2026, at the age of 89. She enjoyed school. At an early age, she picked cotton and cleaned houses, moving to Dayton, Ohio, in 1955. Pearl lived an amazing life. She was the mother of four wonderful children: two sons and two daughters and worked at Miami Valley Hospital until she retired. She married the love of her life, James E. Taylor, on April 10, 1982, and her family grew with seven bonus children. While living in Dayton she was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. She was also a member of the Nightingales of Paradise Gospel Group, as well as a member of the church choir.

After James’s retirement, they moved to Morris Chapel, Tennessee. Pearl never met a stranger. She loved people. No matter who they were, she received them all with open arms. She had an amazing hug that made you feel special. Pearl loved serving as well. While in Morris Chapel, she was a member of New Zeal Baptist Church, where she was also a member of the choir. She volunteered for Relay for Life Charity for Cancer Research, volunteered at the voting poles and chauffeured the elderly to appointments and the grocery stores. Mother Pearl loved quilting, gardening and being with her very close friends.

Pearl’s final move was to Keokuk in 2007. Here, Mother Pearl was the Mother of Living Word Ministry. She enjoyed visiting other churches as well as singing for the Lord. She was a part of the Voices of Worship choir as well as Living Word Ministry. She had the opportunity to be a part of Kardiac Kapers, volunteered at the Hope Center and became a mother to the community. She loved singing happy birthday to people. She always had an encouraging word to give. Her favorite phrase was “It’s not how long you’ve been in church but how long church has been in you.” Her favorite scripture was the 14th Chapter of John. She lived life to the fullest. Pearl traveled many places she thought she would never go and was very thankful for the life the Lord had given her.

Mother Pearl was preceded in death by her parents Carrie Byrdsong and Charlie (Rosa) Hill; her husband James E. Taylor; her daughter Mittie Turner; her son Anthony Bryant; her bonus son Jeffery Taylor; her sisters Marilyn Byrdsong and Jaqueline Arthur; her brother Charlie Byrdsong; and her niece Michelle Byrdsong.

She leaves to cherish her memories her son Roger (Kimberly Scott) Bryant of Dayton, Ohio; her daughter Sharron (Tyrone) Seay of Keokuk, Iowa; bonus children Teresa Johnson, James (Stephanie) Taylor, Jr., Cheryl (Bobby) Jones of Dayton, Ohio, Barbara Taylor and Deborah (Bobby) Kendall of Aragon, Georgia, Valerie (Dennis) Davy of Dallas, Texas, and Patrice Bryant of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; brother Willard (Janese) Woodgette of Wedowee, Alabama; son-in-law Willie Turner of Keokuk; her niece Darlene Byrdsong, who was like a daughter to her; sisters-in-law Shirley Tall of Nashville, Tennessee, Virginia Taylor of Chicago, Illinois, and Dorothy Taylor of Washington State; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at 5 pm on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at New Bethel Church in Keokuk. Visitation will be held at the church on Sunday, May 17, from 4 to 5 pm at the church directly before the service.

An additional time of visitation will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 12 pm (Noon) to 1:30 pm at Shackelford Funeral Directors in Savannah, Tennessee. Burial with a graveside service will follow at 2 pm at Memory Garden Cemetery in Savannah, Tennessee.

Pearl’s family would like to thank New Bethel Church of Keokuk for their hospitality and the staff of both Keokuk Dialysis Center and Burlington Hospice House for the wonderful care they gave her.

Memorials in memory of Mother Pearl may be directed to Living Word Ministry of Keokuk and the Keokuk Hope Center.

DeJong-Printy Funeral Home of Keokuk is in charge of arrangements.