Obituary - Fern Elizabeth (Walker) Taffner

Fern Elizabeth (Walker) Taffner

Fern Elizabeth (Walker) Taffner, 94, went to her Heavenly Home August 9, 2016, at the Cedar County Memorial Hospital in Eldorado Spring, MO. Fern was born at home in Aaron MO on February 9, 1922 to Louis and Nellie Mae (Thornburg) Walker. She attended school at McKinley School and spent her childhood in the Creighton and Urich, MO area. She married Carl Asey Taffner October 28, 1939 in Carthage, MO and the young couple moved to Rural Barton County near Jasper, MO. They celebrated their 50th anniversary before Carl’s passing on March 19, 1990. Fern enjoyed her life on the farm where she spent over 70 years. She loved gardening and canning and was blessed with a green thumb as was evident by her house plants and prized African Violets which she kept growing all through her years in the farm house that she never quit calling “Home”. She moved to Spring Village in Nevada 5 years ago and enjoyed the friends and staff she met there. She loved working in her yard, even into her mid eighties, and filled it with many beautiful flowerbeds, until her health would no longer allow it. Her family enjoyed many Sunday and Holiday meals around her dining room table and the children passing through the kitchen were blessed by a few of her “no-bake” PB oatmeal cookies, always made to perfection. Her grand children and great grand children will always hold this memory dear. She shared her recipe and taught her son-in-law, Joe, the secrets of her no-bakes, so the tradition will live on.

Fern was of the Methodist faith and attended the Boston Methodist Church until it’s closing. For the last 25 years she enjoyed attending Anchor Fellowship in Nevada and Sheldon Baptist Church. She considered both to be church family. Fern was never hesitant about passing along her belief in her Lord Jesus Christ and always encouraging and reminding her family and friends with her familiar phrase, “Don’t forget to say your prayers.” Her prayers for all will be greatly missed. Her family was a source of great joy. She especially treasured the time spent with the great grandchildren.
Fern was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Carl Asey Taffner, and a son Lester Carl Taffner, her great-grand-daughter Hannah RoseMarie Lamb (in 2013), brothers Lester Carl ”Bud” and Gerald Dean Walker, a sister Katherine ”Kay” Faye McDonald and an infant sister Josephine Eleanor Walker and a special niece Deborah Fern Weinstein (McDonald).

She is survived by her son Jerry Taffner and wife Karen of Lamar, a daughter Peggy Jo Gilkey and husband Joe of Nevada, MO, a daughter-in -law Carolyn M. Taffner; grand children Jerod Lamb and wife Lisha Jo of Sheldon, Angie Schlichting and husband Matthew of Lamar and Joshua Lamb and wife Abbey of Sheldon and 9 great-grand-children; Logan Elizabeth, Bryce Aric, and Uric Asey Lamb; Aiden Daniel (A.D.) Ellifrits, Megan Olivia and Dalton Reid Schlichting and Zavery Thayne, Deborah Jolee and Mariam Elizabeth Lamb; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be Thursday at Konantz Warden Funeral Home, Lamar, MO, at 1:00 PM. There will be a visitation Wednesday from 6 to 7 PM,