Bobbie LaJoy Taylor

Bobbie LaJoy Taylor, 94, passed peacefully at her home in Wichita, Kansas on March 8, 2026. Born November 19, 1931, in Quitman, Texas, to Silas Jurdon Bird and Lucy Cozell Ross, she grew up during the Great Depression and carried the strength, resilience, and determination those early years instilled in her throughout her long life.

In 1947, Bobbie married Joel H. Patterson. Together they raised four children and built a life centered on family and church until his death in 1977. After retiring from Lee Jeans, she earned her GED and began a second career at Drug-Sav, where she took genuine pleasure in meeting and helping the people in her community. A devout Christian, she found joy in floristry, baking, and reading.

In 1979, Bobbie married Cleatus Taylor in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. They shared many happy years together until his passing in 2018.

She is survived by her children, Sandra Tinsmon, Joel Patterson, Lisa Collins, and Charles Taylor; 13 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Joel H. Patterson, her son Michael Scott Patterson Sr., and her husband Cleatus Taylor. A celebration of her life will be held in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.