Clark Hardman Taylor 1917-2002 Obituary
Clark Hardman Taylor, of 7 Lower Drive, Buckhannon, passed away Tuesday, June 25, 2002, in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon.
He was born on Nov. 7, 1917, in Horner, to the late Milo Taylor and Queen Clark Taylor.
He is survived by Genevieve Jones Taylor, whom he married on June 6, 1940.
He graduated from Weston High School in 1936, where he was a member of the 1935 and 1936 State High School Wrestling Championship teams. He conducted baby beef and sheep projects, both in 4-h and FFA, and also held officer positions in both and was on the livestock and agronomy judging teams. He won first place in agronomy, Gold Medal, in a WVU judging event involving 123 contestants.
He served as Young People program leader, Sunday School superintendent, and on the official board in the Horner Methodist Church. While in Morgantown, he was a member of the Spruce Street Methodist Church and served on the official board, pastoral committee, and chairman of the furnishing committee. He also served as assistant and Cub Scout Master with the Woodburn Elementary School Troop and as teacher of Morse Code and first aid with the Spruce Street Methodist Church Boy Scouts Troop.
In 1938, he was employed with the College of Agriculture at WVU as diary farm superintendent. During his 25 years of employment, the herd received national recognition for production, type and practical experiment work. Upon WVU retirement, a banquet attended by 172 people was held in his honor. He became manager of West Virginia Artificial Breeders Cooperative and was responsible for 32 technicians throughout the state.
In 1970, he joined Southern States as manager of the Clarksburg and the Buckhannon stores. He earned the “Man of Action” award in 1972, Manager of the Year in 1973, merchandising award in 1974, Golden Anniversary Club in 1975, and was recipient of two trips to the Bahamas in 1974 and 1975. As member of 50 & 51 Club, he retired from Southern States in 1980.
He was very active in many West Virginia national agricultural associations. He was secretary-treasurer for 14 years of the West Virginia Holstein Association, which was recognized in 1970 as the top (out of 48) organization in the United States, was elected West Virginia delegate to Ayrshire, Holstein and Angus National Association annual meetings, was officer and director of the West Virginia Dairy Show and the West Virginia Association of Agricultural Industry. He had served as past director, president, vice president and treasurer of the West Virginia Angus Association and on the West Virginia State Farm Bureau Beef Board and the West Virginia University Bull Test Committee. He also served for the Upshur County Farm Bureau as its past president and director, on the Legislative Committee, as director and chairman of its marketing committee, director and past president of the Upshur Livestock Association, director of the Central Livestock Association, member of the Lewis County Livestock Association and American Angus Association and past director and secretary/treasurer of the West Virginia Cattleman Association. He also served as past chairman and director of the Southern States Weston/buckhannon Store, Southern States Regional Committee for West Virginia, part of Maryland and Virginia for six years, past member of Upshur County Extension Committee, presently a member of the Upshur County 4-h Foundation Board, and very active on the Upshur County Youth and 4-h Camp the past five years, recently active (three years) on the Jackson Mill renovation project involving the pavilion, which houses the livestock facility.
He earned a number of West Virginia agricultural honors including the West Virginia Holstein Merit Award in 1970, the West Virginia Dairyman’s Award in 1977, West Virginia Purebred Beef Breeders Award in 1984, the West Virginia Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1988, the prestigious West Virginia 4-h Alumni Award in 1989, Cattlemen of the Year by West Virginia Cattlemans Association in 1990, Gamma Sigma Delta Award from WVU for distinguish service to West Virginia Agriculture in 1991, first honorary member of WVU Agriculture and Forestry Alumni Association in 1992, Lewis County Soil Conservation County winner in 1993, Upshur County Livestock Service Award in 1994, first and only honorary member of Gamma Sigma Delta of WVU in 1995, and Upshur County Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award in 1996.
He received many honors for his registered Angus herd at West Stonecoal Farm in Horner. From 1986 through 1989, he had the top selling heifer in the West Virginia Angus Calf Sale, the second top Angus bull in the West Virginia Bull Test Station; the Grand Champion Bull and Grand Champion Heifer on numerous occasions as well as Reserve Champion Heifer and the Grand Champion Bull at the West Virginia Angus Breeders Show in 1986 and 2001. In 1991, he had the top selling Angus bull at the first West Virginia Ag Expo.
In 1998, the Clark H. Taylor Scholarship Fun was established at West Virginia University for the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. It now provides student scholarships each year.
He is survived by two sons, Robert of Morgantown, and Charles of Scranton, Pa.; five grandchildren, Robert of Rock Hill, Md., Troy of Morgantown, Shanon and Corinne of Scranton, Pa., and Justin of Clifton, N.J.; and one brother, Franz of Plant City, Fla.
Many students were employed under his direction at the West Virginia University Dairy Farm and without exception, they speak highly of his good influence on them as students.
He was a great believer in “You get out of life on Earth (God) exactly how you plan it.” He always treated people like he would like to be treated. He was honest, sincere, fair and got the job done.
Friends will be received at Poling-st. Clair Funeral Home today from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Stacy Grosscup officiating. Burial will follow in Weston Masonic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Upshur Youth and 4-h Camp at Selbyville, Attention Mr. Charles Courtney, Upshur Youth Camp, HC 78, Box 60, Selbyville, W.Va. 26236.
Clark Hardman Taylor 1917-2002 Obituary
