Mary Isabelle passed away at Kadlec Medical Center on July 8, 2010, following a brief illness. She was born in Lee's Summit, Missouri, on June 16, 1915, the second of nine children born to Gordon Francis and Clara Elizabeth Taylor.

Isabelle spent her early years on the Taylor farm and as the eldest daughter assisted with meals for the family and farm hands as well as looking after her younger siblings.

In 1932 she married Forest Taylor. After their marriage she worked for Pratt & Whitney aircraft during the War effort. Their first two sons, Edward and Carl, were born in Missouri, and in 1944 they moved west to Richland where Forest was employed by DuPont on the Manhattan Project. They put down roots here and became charter members of the Southside United Protestant Church, where Isabelle presided over the Wednesday night suppers for 24 years, serving full course meals. She was employed by the Richland Malt Shop and retired from Safeway after 25 years as a meat wrapper.

Isabelle was noted for the more than 100 porcelain dolls she created, her famous peanut brittle that she made every year for family and special friends, her fabulous family dinner gatherings, and apple pies which she cooked as "therapy" and we ate joyfully. For 15 years she bred and raised Maltese dogs, several of whom became champions and were shown at Madison Square Garden and Westminster dog shows enabling the Taylors to travel to the east coast and London.

She is survived by: brother Dick Taylor of Greenwood, MO; sons Edward Jody of Kent, WA, Carl Tobe of Richland, and Gordon of Richland; grandchildren Wayne, Mike, Bryan, Amy, and Eric; seven great-grandchildren; step-grandchildren Kammy, Rick, and Michael, and nine step-great-grandchildren; valued honorary family members Amie, Kyle and Sarah Evers, and Bill Phillips.

She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Frances, Anna, Carlena, Ruth, Bill, John and Dean, and her husband of 66 years, Forest.

Memorial service will be held Thursday, July 15, 11:00 am at Southside United Protestant Church in Richland. Remembrances may be made to the church.