Doris Marie Taylor, age 95, passed away at Windsor Manor in Indianola, Iowa on May 6, 2024.  She was comforted to the end by family, friends and the wonderful caring staff of Windsor Manor and SunCrest Hospice staff. Services will be held 11 a.m., Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola, with visitation prior from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial will be in the New Virginia Cemetery.

Mrs. Taylor was born June 26, 1928, at home, near Medora, Iowa in southern Warren County, the daughter of Ivan and Iva (Hamilton) Calaway. Doris attended a country school in Squaw Township through the 8th grade and graduated from New Virginia Consolidated School in 1946.

Doris married Wilbur (Bill) William Taylor on June 21, 1947.  After 33 years of marriage, Bill passed away on December 22, 1980. Bill and Doris were blessed with 3 children, Sheryl, Stanley and Marla.  They made their home in New Virginia for 27 years, until moving to Lake Panorama in 1976.   Doris spent 18 years living on the lake before moving to Indianola in 1994.  She has been a resident of Windsor Manor in Indianola for the last seven years.

Doris and Bill enjoyed dancing.  In their early years, they could be found every Saturday night at a dance hall, till the band stopped playing.  After Bill's death, she took lessons for Western Square Dancing and continued her passion for dancing, until the age of 85.

For the most part, Doris was a stay-at-home Mom.  She sewed lots of clothes over the years for her children and could stretch a penny to the max.  She and Bill put in a large garden each year and canned and froze everything they could.  Doris loved her flowers and was well known for starting different varieties of African Violets and sharing those plants with many friends.  After moving to the lake, she developed a passion for bird watching.  Her passion developed into a large collection of bird decorations.  Gift buying for her became easy, when it included a bird!  Doris's favorite color was purple. She was affectionately known at Windsor Manor as the "Lady in purple" as she could be seen daily in her favorite purple sweaters!

While living in New Virginia, Doris worked part-time as a telephone operator.  After moving to Lake Panorama, she was a receptionist at the Panora Clinic.  She tells family that the most satisfying job she had was a Walmart greeter in Indianola.  She got to reconnect with a lot of her New Virginia friends from earlier years.

Doris enjoyed traveling.  Throughout the years she made many bus trips to Branson, Missouri with her friend Ida Mae Hatcher.  She and Ida Mae went everywhere.  One of those memorable trips was to Hawaii, with her sister Velma.

Doris is survived by her three children, Sheryl and Roger Young of St. Charles, IA, Stanley Taylor of Allen, OK,  and Marla and Rick Harrison of Donna, TX; 7 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; Alice Taylor; sister-in-law, of Knoxville, IA; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

Her sister Velma's girls, Janice, Joyce, Marilyn, and Evelyn held a special place in her heart.  Before having children of her own, she treasured times spent with them.  That special connection held true throughout her life.  Therefore, she requested they be Honorary Pallbearers.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; daughter-in-law, Vicky (Stills) Taylor; her parents, Ivan and Iva Calaway; and her siblings, Everett, Merrill, and Vera Calaway, who all passed away as small children; her brother, Russell Calaway; and sister, Velma (Calaway) Peterson.

Memorials may be given to Pink Tractor in Doris' memory.