I’m so jealous of all of you who got together to celebrate the 50 year reunion. Shouts out to Barbara Welty, Jane Lindsey, Ruth Ryland and oh so many wonderful Saints!
Jill Shuler Taylor here. I wish I could tell you all how many conversations we had in our house about whether or not I could possibly get to the reunion for our 50TH. My husband of 45 years, Howard Taylor felt guilty making me go to his in September without trying to make sure I got to mine in August. But even if I wasn’t able to be there, I have loved catching up with you all via your posts on WhatsUp!
I left SAHS with no plans to attend college, but Harlan Anderson took me directly to UC Irvine to enroll in the first class of Ant Eaters! When my parents were going through a divorce, I took a detour my senior year and landed at Taylor University—just for a year, and just long enough to meet my future husband. I came back to UC Irvine to graduate, got married and moved to Long Island where I taught Jr. High School—English, Music and Drama! Wildly crazy. In four years we were moving to Indiana where Howard took a position at Taylor University in Administration. Our first born, Kari Ann, is a Hoosier! The only paid job I had in Upland, IN was an Activities Director for a retirement home in our backyard—brand new with 7 residents!
While in IN we added a son, our only CA child, who was born in Whittier and blessedly placed in our home by a precious birth mother. Just 19 months after Douglas came Kathleen (Katie) Audre Taylor. In 1981 we moved to Diamond Bar, CA where Howard worked for Fuller Seminary and I got my Masters at Claremont. Off to teaching for 17 years in Pomona Unified Schools, working my way aaaaaallll the way down to Kindergarten. During our years in CA Howard and I got to attend a high school reunion or two before moving back to Ohio in 1999 where we observed YK2 with people who had cellars and gardens to fill them!
Ohio provided Howard a position at Malone University as Vice President for Advancement with a few days a month to continue consulting. For the first year I continued to work with McGraw Hill presenting their elementary music program in CA, so flights back and forth. During those years I was blessed to be with both parents for visits…making up for opportunities lost in the days after the divorce.
16 years in OH have given us a place to drop our California boat in the water at Salt Fork State Park lake. Water-skiing is something I love doing. Ohio also afforded me a career change—jumping into a position of Executive Director at Pregnancy Support Center (PSC) of Stark County. For 15+ years in Ohio I have had the opportunity to share love and compassion with so many young girls facing unplanned pregnancies. Our greatest joy is to provide options for LIFE choices, but also to be there for women who have had abortion as a part of their past—and seek reconciliation and healing.
Well, that’s a wrap. Our years have been full of joy and some surprises along the way. Our third child, Katie, started a Film School non-profit in South Africa…with one huge bonus of two additional daughters from South Africa—Nangamso and Lusanda. Both have gone through USA high school and college and as of this December both will have married. Lots of fun getting to have another round of kids!
Howard is back to full time consulting for faith-based non-profits while I continue to serve at PSC. We worship at the Akron Chapel, the Green campus where we hear incredible sermons from a NASA Engineer, once an atheist, who trusted God with his life and has served as our pastor! The science lessons are AMAZING. I wish for you all the best this world has to offer, knowing that the world that follows is where the real deal begins!
Jill (Shuler) Taylor