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A Brief History Of Wallace & Maxine
Maxine & Wallace Taylor - 50th Wedding Anniversary
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Wallace Kerry Taylor, the fifth child of James and Mabel Taylor, was born on January 13, 1925, in Glen Elder, Kansas. He passed away on August 7, 2019 at the age of 94. Maxine Louise German, the second of six children, of Harold and Cecil German, was born on February 2,1926 on her parent's farm south of Glen Elder, Kansas. She passed away on March 13, 2004, at the age of 78. Wallace and Maxine were married on June 2, 1946. They had four children: Mitchell, b. September 21, 1949; Marsha, b. July 11, 1951; Vance, b. October 10, 1957; and Traci, b. March 28, 1960. The couple lived in Glen Elder and other towns before moving to Manhattan, Kansas, in 1954. |
While growing up, Maxine’s nickname was always “Bill,” because she was supposed to have been a boy. Her father, Harold, and Grandmother Minnie brought her into this world because, due to muddy roads, Dr. Rob (Reinhart) was late arriving to assist with the delivery.
Born and raised in the country, Maxine often recalled odd, yet typical, things associated with growing up with her siblings in those times. Like going to the field and breaking a stalk of cane to get the sweet juice, eating raw roasting ears, and chewing wheat for gum. In the winters they used scoop-shovels for sleds and slid down the creek banks. A hay-rack was handy as a stage or, a means of transportation. They played in the barn hayloft and wheat bins and some learned to swim in the stock water tanks. They had plenty of wide-open spaces to roam and play.
Maxine graduated from Glen Elder High School in 1943. Afterwards, as World War ll raged, she taught grades 1-8 at the Rosehill country school for two years, 1944 and 1945. During the summer of 1944, she took a bus and traveled to Riverside, California, where she stayed with her Grandmother Brodie and worked at the nearby army base’s PX.
After the war, back in Glen Elder, she worked at Neff’s Grocery Store, something she had also done while attending high school.
Born and raised in the country, Maxine often recalled odd, yet typical, things associated with growing up with her siblings in those times. Like going to the field and breaking a stalk of cane to get the sweet juice, eating raw roasting ears, and chewing wheat for gum. In the winters they used scoop-shovels for sleds and slid down the creek banks. A hay-rack was handy as a stage or, a means of transportation. They played in the barn hayloft and wheat bins and some learned to swim in the stock water tanks. They had plenty of wide-open spaces to roam and play.
Maxine graduated from Glen Elder High School in 1943. Afterwards, as World War ll raged, she taught grades 1-8 at the Rosehill country school for two years, 1944 and 1945. During the summer of 1944, she took a bus and traveled to Riverside, California, where she stayed with her Grandmother Brodie and worked at the nearby army base’s PX.
After the war, back in Glen Elder, she worked at Neff’s Grocery Store, something she had also done while attending high school.
Wallace grew up in Glen Elder assisting his father with the operation of the Plaza Theater. When he wasn’t working he was enjoying the outdoors and tinkering with cars; Wallace was never one to pass on an adventure. He and good friend, Richard Marzolf, could often be found along the banks of the Solomon River fishing, or just about anywhere hunting and finding targets for their guns.
One exploit that Wallace fondly remembers took place while the river was flooding. As he did on occasion, Wallace was available to row people back and forth across the river. On this particular day, Wallace’s cousin, Bob Taylor, and good friend Richard Marzolf, were at the river together waiting for business on the south bank; floodwater was over the river-bridge and running very fast. When Harold German Sr., Sheldon Lowdermilk, and Glen “Fuzzy” Coble arrived, they asked Bob if he would ferry them across the channel. Bob agreed and proceeded to row them across the Solomon in Richard’s boat.
But, soon after starting, the current grabbed control of the boat and swept it and the men quickly down stream and into the tangle of a treetop. The boat capsized and everyone fell into the water. Luckily, they all grabbed a hold of the tree’s branches to keep from being swept away. Watching from the bank, Harold’s wife, Cecil and some of her children started screaming and hollering along with the others that were gathered along shore. Already in a four-man boat, and not hesitating, Wallace and Richard went to rescue the stranded men. Not wanting to take time to row to shore and back, Richard volunteered to wait in the top of a water-bound tree; Wallace could then retrieve more of the stranded men at one time.
Sheldon, Fuzzy, and Bob were picked up first and taken to the north side of the river. Then Harold, who had opted to wait in the tree, was rescued and rowed to safety—back to the south bank where the adventure had begun. Harold had had enough and stated: “That if his family got hungry he’d just butcher a cow.”
Attending Glen Elder High School, Wallace graduated with the Class of 1943. With World War II being the focus of attention he immediately was at the disposal of the U. S. Armed Forces and joined the Air Force. After several months of stateside training he was deployed to England where he was attached to the 303rd Bomb Group. During the next several months, “Technical Sergeant Taylor” was a gunner and togglelier (similar to a bombardier)—part of the crew on a B-17 Flying Fortress. He flew 30 missions over Germany, then was honorably discharged in November 15, 1946.
After his discharge and his marriage to Maxine, Wallace attended Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, where he attained both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Geology, and a minor in Physics. In the fall of 1950, he began working for the Kansas Highway Department where he remained employed until his retirement in 1991.
One exploit that Wallace fondly remembers took place while the river was flooding. As he did on occasion, Wallace was available to row people back and forth across the river. On this particular day, Wallace’s cousin, Bob Taylor, and good friend Richard Marzolf, were at the river together waiting for business on the south bank; floodwater was over the river-bridge and running very fast. When Harold German Sr., Sheldon Lowdermilk, and Glen “Fuzzy” Coble arrived, they asked Bob if he would ferry them across the channel. Bob agreed and proceeded to row them across the Solomon in Richard’s boat.
But, soon after starting, the current grabbed control of the boat and swept it and the men quickly down stream and into the tangle of a treetop. The boat capsized and everyone fell into the water. Luckily, they all grabbed a hold of the tree’s branches to keep from being swept away. Watching from the bank, Harold’s wife, Cecil and some of her children started screaming and hollering along with the others that were gathered along shore. Already in a four-man boat, and not hesitating, Wallace and Richard went to rescue the stranded men. Not wanting to take time to row to shore and back, Richard volunteered to wait in the top of a water-bound tree; Wallace could then retrieve more of the stranded men at one time.
Sheldon, Fuzzy, and Bob were picked up first and taken to the north side of the river. Then Harold, who had opted to wait in the tree, was rescued and rowed to safety—back to the south bank where the adventure had begun. Harold had had enough and stated: “That if his family got hungry he’d just butcher a cow.”
Attending Glen Elder High School, Wallace graduated with the Class of 1943. With World War II being the focus of attention he immediately was at the disposal of the U. S. Armed Forces and joined the Air Force. After several months of stateside training he was deployed to England where he was attached to the 303rd Bomb Group. During the next several months, “Technical Sergeant Taylor” was a gunner and togglelier (similar to a bombardier)—part of the crew on a B-17 Flying Fortress. He flew 30 missions over Germany, then was honorably discharged in November 15, 1946.
After his discharge and his marriage to Maxine, Wallace attended Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, where he attained both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Geology, and a minor in Physics. In the fall of 1950, he began working for the Kansas Highway Department where he remained employed until his retirement in 1991.