Jimmy Joe Taylor

Graveside services for Jimmy Joe Taylor, 85, West Plains, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 9, 2022, at Howell Memorial Park Cemetery, with Brother Bobby Brazeal officiating, under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.

Mr. Taylor passed away at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, January 2, 2022, at Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains.

He was born March 28, 1936, at home near West Plains, the son of William O. and Pearl A. Van Wort Taylor.  He received his education in the schools of Howell County and on June 27, 1964, was married at Thayer, Missouri, to Mary Jo Brewer.  Mr. Taylor worked several jobs during his youth. In 1963, he began a 29-and-a-half-year career working for the telephone companies that serviced the south-central Missouri region, including Western Power, Light and Telephone; Centel; Contel; and GTE, making numerous friends and acquaintances along the way.  Following his retirement from the phone company, he worked for seven years for Kimbrough Trucking in West Plains.  In his spare time, Mr. Taylor enjoyed woodworking and was able to use his unique ability to envision patterns to complete many pieces of furniture for family and friends, including tables, shelves, quilt racks, beds, vanities, and china cabinets. For a time, he sold his hand-made calendar frames at Time and Talent near West Plains.  Mr. Taylor was a Christian, coming to know Jesus as his personal savior as an adult. He attended First Baptist Church and First Church of God, both in West Plains, before health issues made attendance impossible.

In addition to his wife, Mary Jo, he is survived by two daughters, Vickie Driskell and husband, Kevin, West Plains, Missouri, and Stacie Carrico and husband, Jason, Harker Heights, Texas; granddaughters Taylor Carrico, Harker Heights, Texas, Gina Davis and husband, Chris, Koshkonong, Missouri, and Amanda Collins and husband, Clayton, West Plains, Missouri; three great-granddaughters, Emma and Eva Collins, and Gracie Davis; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, David Taylor; four sisters, Crystal Ellison, Earldean Cantrell, Juanita Smith, and Rosemary Taylor, and several half-siblings.

Mr. Taylor will lie in state from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday, at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.  The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sunday, at the funeral home.  Burial will be at Howell Memorial Park Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Diabetes Association or Missouri State University-West Plains Annual Fund and may be left at or mailed to Robertson-Drago Funeral Home, 211 West Main, West Plains, MO  65775.