Jean Taylor

April 9, 1945  –  September 8, 2023

Obituary

Jean Taylor passed peacefully at her home in Scott Valley on September 8, 2023. A lifelong Siskiyou County resident, Jean was born on April 9, 1945 in Weed to Jack and Meribeth Messner. She spent her first five years of life in Dunsmuir before moving with her family to Yreka. Jean attended Jackson Street and Gold Street Elementary Schools and graduated from Yreka High School in 1963. Her childhood was spent playing with neighborhood friends, fishing in the Klamath River and elsewhere with her parents, playing clarinet in the school band and spending time with her beloved Aunt Annie (Hovenden) on the family ranch in Etna.

After high school, Jean attended Chico State University where she majored in biology and experienced life in the big city. Along with many cherished memories and college friends, she met and fell in love with Michael Taylor, a fellow biology major. After graduating from Chico State with her teaching certificate, Jean taught elementary school in Los Molinos for two years. She and Mike were married in 1967 in Paradise while he was home on leave from the Army before heading overseas to serve in Vietnam. After Mike’s discharge from the Army, the newlyweds moved to Scott Valley where Mike took a job teaching at Fort Jones Elementary. Soon thereafter, they welcomed their first daughter, Jennie, and several years later, their second daughter, Susannah.

Jean loved motherhood and was always eager to help, whether with 4-H projects, field trips, or the ponytail softball concession stand. She passed her love of hiking, fishing, and camping to her daughters, and many a perfect summer day was spent in the mountains near Etna. Besides motherhood, Jean also did some substitute teaching and then switched careers to work remotely as an Integrated Circuit Layout Designer for Intersil and then Maxim Integrated Products of the Bay Area, helping to develop chips used in many cutting-edge products.

After raising her children, Jean rediscovered her love of watercolor painting and drawing, and spent many hours sketching and painting birds, flowers and other natural treasures. She was also blessed with the greenest of green thumbs, creating beautiful yards and gardens around her home. Not one to sit idle, she kept busy cooking, creating, birdwatching, participating in the Native Daughters of the Golden West or visiting with friends and family.

Jean will be missed tremendously by her loving husband of 56 years, Mike, and her daughters Jennie (Bert) Skillen of Colfax, California and Susannah (Jeff) Ferguson of Columbia, Missouri. She also leaves six grandchildren, her sister Susan (Ron) Coulter, and numerous extended family members and dear friends.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 22, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Etna Cemetery in Etna. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Madrone Hospice or The Nature Conservancy.

Graveside Service

Friday, September 22, 2023

11:00AM

Etna Cemetery 
Sawyers Bar Road 
Etna, CA 96027

• Mary Beth Catalano
  September 18, 1942  –  September 21, 2023 Obituary Longtime Siskiyou County resident Mary Beth Catalano passed away on September 21, 2023 at her home in Mount Shasta. She had just celebrated her 81st birthday on September 18. Mary is survived by her children: Linda Nichols (Brett), Lisa Bennett (Dana) and Jesse Reece; two stepchildren, Terry Barlow (Mike) … Read more
• Lois Eileen Smith
  August 12, 1929  –  September 17, 2023 Obituary Lois Eileen Smith (GMa LoLo) at age 94 went to be with our Lord on September 17, 2023. Living with congestive heart failure & atrial fibrillation since 2010, she was still active, lived alone, and drove her car until the age of 91. Lois was born on August 12, … Read more
• Edward Duncan Sarmento
  April 6, 1950  –  September 14, 2023 Obituary Edward Sarmento passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at his home in Yreka. Ed was born April 6, 1950 to Edward “Chief” and Betty (Heisinger) Sarmento in Santa Cruz. Ed was raised in San Mateo in the Bay Area. While attending Hillsdale High School, Ed played football, … Read more
• Lawrie Ann Salvestrin
  July 5, 1952 – August 23, 2023 “With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our sister, Lawrie Ann Salvestrin, age 71.  Lawrie was born in Weed, California on July 5, 1952, to Fred T. and Cesira Piva Salvestrin.  She was a proud graduate of Weed Elementary and Weed High schools and College of the … Read more
• Alan Roy Meyers
  April 11, 1957  –  September 7, 2023 Obituary Alan Roy Meyers was born April 11, 1957 in Yreka, California. He lived in many places throughout his life including Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Southern Oregon. He spent the last 35 years in Yreka where he passed on September 7, 2023. He is the firstborn child and only son … Read more