"B. H." Barksdale Holmes Taylor Jr.

Barksdale Holmes (B. H.) Taylor, Jr., 66, of Bald Knob passed away on March 5, 2016, from respiratory complications related to cancer. B. H. was born on July 4, 1949, in Harrisburg, Arkansas, to Barksdale H. (Bart) Taylor, Sr., and Earlene Cobble Taylor. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Connie S. Jones Taylor; one son, Bart Taylor III (Jennifer); one daughter, Jennifer Massey (Shawn); three grandchildren, Taylor Massey, Jackson Massey, and Hudson Taylor; and his parents, Bart and Earlene Taylor. He is also survived by his brother, Michael (Cynthia); four nieces, Jacqueline Cox (Joseph), Andrea Mason (Shawn), Lindsey Haagenson (Chris), and Hannah Jones (Abdullah); and many extended family members and friends. B. H. graduated from Bald Knob High School in 1967 and was valedictorian. He was drafted into the army and was an infantryman from 1969 to 1971. He served in the Vietnam War before and during the Parrot's Beak Operation in 1970 in Cambodia. He was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, the Purple Heart, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor. Following his service in the army, he returned to college, earning a Master's Degree in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He attended Russell Missionary Baptist Church, where he was a longtime member. B. H. was a lifelong farmer, having grown up on the family farm near Russell. He and his brother, Michael, farmed side by side, along with their parents, for 39 years. They raised mainly rice, soybeans, and wheat. A memorial service will be held March 12 at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church in Searcy, Arkansas. Interment will follow at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Unity Health Foundation at 1200 South Main Street, Searcy, Arkansas 72143.