Harley Taylor

1925 - 2020

Harley F. Taylor

Harley F. Taylor passed peacefully on Sept. 22, 2020. The oldest son of Arthur and Mina (Bay) Taylor, he was born May 22, 1925 on the Northville, SD family farm where he learned the value of hard work, a trait that guided his life.

He graduated from Northville High School in 1943, joined the U.S Navy, and was honorably discharged as an aviation machinist in May 1946. Following the war, he engaged in grain farming, gravel hauling, custom combining and attended SDSU, graduating with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics.

On Sept. 26, 1951, he and Adele Meier were married. Together for 51 years, they raised four devoted daughters who with their husbands raised twelve grandchildren. They are Jackie (Geoff) Slingsby of Rapid City, Jason and Taylor; Joan (Neal) LaFon of Franktown, CO, Maxwell, Weston, and Calley; Cathy (Jim) Couch of Oklahoma City, OK, Jacob and Joey; Lynn (Stephen) Eckrich of Rapid City, Janell, Patrick, Nichole, Marissa and Carolyn.

In 1955 he experienced the misfortune of a flat tire in Ipswich, SD, which resulted in the good fortune of him becoming the local John Deere dealer. In 1965 he acquired the Aberdeen dealership with his brother Norman. In 1975 he acquired the dealership in Great Falls, MT with his brother Miles. Selling, trading and making deals on John Deere machinery was one of his greatest pleasures over a 35-year career.

Harley and Adele loved to travel, especially by motorhome or by airplane with Harley as the pilot. Over the years he flew single-engine, multi-engine and float planes, remaining an active pilot into his 80's. He accumulated over 8000 hours flying for business and pleasure, landing anywhere from a farmer's dirt road to a Canadian fishing lake. He served 25 years as a South Dakota State Aeronautics Commissioner.

His interest in cattle and horses resulted in him owning a cattle ranch for over 25 years, was a 50 year Shriner beginning as a member of the Yelduz Shrine Horse Patrol, and enjoyed over 60 western SD trail rides as a member of the Custer Trail Riders and the Western SD Buckaroos.

He served on numerous boards including Farmers & Merchants Bank, Steiger Tractor Inc. Advisory Board, Aberdeen Regional Airport Board, and Bethlehem Lutheran Church council. He was a member of Royal Order of Jesters and of the Rapid City Rotary.

An eternal optimist, he allowed very few things to spoil his day or take the smile from his face and really believed "tomorrow will be better". He had a strong will and a unique gift for finding a common bond with everyone he met, making countless lifelong friends.

Harley was preceded in death by Adele, his wife of 51 years, brothers Miles and Irvin, sister, Inez, and special cousin, Royce Knapp.

He is survived by brothers Norman and Arvin, nieces and nephews, and his dear friend Dorothy Slingsby. The family wishes to thank the staff at Westhills Village Retirement Community for their compassionate care.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions and concern for the safety of those he loved, a private funeral service will be held. A private burial with military honors will be held at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. Masks and social distancing will be required. The private funeral service on Friday, Oct. 2, will be video recorded. You may go to https:/www.osheimschmidt.com/obituary/harley-taylor to view Mr. Harley Taylor's funeral and graveside service. It will be on the website by 5 p.m. to view.

A celebration of Harley's life is being planned for next summer when we can all be together to truly honor Harley and the life he lived.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children's Transportation Fund (Yelduz Shrine Transportation Fund) 802 S. Main St., Aberdeen, SD 57401), the Mount Rushmore Society, or to the charity of your choice.