Fern Margaret (Gauley) Taylor, 96, of Montezuma (and formerly of Deep River, Iowa) passed away Thursday morning, December 31, 2020 at the Montezuma Specialty Care Center in Montezuma, Iowa.  Fern will be buried Friday, January 8 ^th in a private ceremony in the Golden Rod Cemetery, Deep River, Iowa. Pastor Michelle Williamson, of the United Church of Deep River will officiate. No visitation will be held. The Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma is handling the funeral arrangements.

A memorial service, at the United Church in Deep River, will be held later, once COVID-19 quarantine restrictions are over. Honorary pallbearers at the memorial service will be Ed Evans, Brian Armstrong, Tom Steffen, Don Cranston, Larry Kitzman, Gary Armstrong, and Eric Seaton. Memorials in Fern's name may be made to the United Church of Deep River, the Morrison Schrader American Legion-Deep River, or the Deep River Fire Department.

Fern Margaret Gauley Taylor, the daughter of Thomas and Vada (Doonan) Gauley, was born on June 27, 1924 on a farm in Scott Township, north of Montezuma, Iowa. Following graduation from Montezuma High School, she taught rural school for five years.

She was united in marriage to Arlo Francis Taylor of Deep River, Iowa on June 1, 1947 in the Montezuma United Methodist Church.  Arlo and Fern had two sons, Stanley Mark of Corvallis, Oregon and Craig Douglas, of Coralville, Iowa.  Arlo and Fern actively farmed and raised livestock until Arlo's death in 1997. Arlo and Fern loved to travel and went many places including India to visit son, Stanley and Germany to visit son, Craig. They both enjoyed the many organizations they belonged to and the neighborhood they lived in. Fern was a member of the United Church of Deep River and the Morrison Schrader American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed farming, bird watching, reading cookbooks, and traveling.

Fern said she was always surrounded by good people including one who she said kept her bird feeders full while she was in the nursing home and kept close watch over her. Fern liked to say she was "blessed with many good friends; however, there were a few disappointments, but that made the good all the better."

Fern was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Arlo Taylor and her parents, Thomas and Vada Gauley. She is survived by son Stanley Taylor; son Craig Taylor and wife Laurie (Williams); granddaughter Molly Margaret (Taylor) Walter and her husband Benjamin Walter; great-grandchildren Henry Thomas and Helena Mary Walter; her brother Kenneth Gauley and wife LaNeva; and many nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.