On July 14, 2011, the Lord called home Alma Iola Taylor; loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

It is significant that Alma’s home going would be from the home of her daughter, Alma Iola Peretti, and a few miles from the place of her birth 98 years earlier on Whidbey Island.

Alma Iola was born Jan. 17, 1913 to Charles and Amanda (Annie) Pearson, homesteaders to the Holmes Harbor area. Alma would be the last child born to Amanda and would join three brohers, Otis, Ivan and Coral and one sister, Bernice. The other children were born while Amanda was married to George Little.

In 1906 Amanda Pearson purchased 20 acres of land on Holmes Harbor from a logging company for $220. She paid for it with trees logged from the land. This is land that would stay in the family for more than a hundred years.

School days for Alma began as she was living on the Pearson homestead. There was a well-worn path from the homestead to the Bayview school. Each morning she and her brother Coral would cross the wooden bridge at Useless Bay and pass Burk’s store, before entering school.

That summer they moved to the farm on Holmes Harbor. From there Coral and Alma rode horseback to schools at Austin and Saratoga. She also boarded with the Wylies near Bayview while atttending fourth and fifth grades. She lived with her sister Bernice at Alki Point in Seattle for some years while completing her education.

Meeting Edward Roy Taylor: Alma’s brother was working in Seattle and boarding in a home in Rainier Valley. Down the street lived the Taylor family. Coral Little and Ann Taylor became acquainted and were engaged and soon married. Witnesses were Alma Iola Pearson and Roy Taylor. Five years later, on June 5, 1930 Alma and Roy were married — a marriage that lasted 67 years and was terminated by the death of Roy in May 1997.

Iola and Roy Taylor raised three children, Alma Iola Peretti, Charlotte Ann McCallum and Rodney Roy Taylor. They lived in Seattle for most of their working years where Roy drove truck for the city of Seattle for 30 years. When he retired they moved to Whidbey Island. Alma Iola worked for the Seattle School District as a lunchroom manager.

In Seattle they were active in Brighton Gospal Tabernacle, especially in children’s ministries, such as Sunday school and Boy Scouts.

They were charter members of South Whidbey Assembly of God — once again involved in the children’s ministries and building ministries.

One of the delights of their lives were many trips to Alaska in their pickup and camper. They loved to visit their family in Angoon, and the North Pole, as well as cook for the children’s camps at Wasilla.

Alma’s memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 30 at South Whidbey Assembly of God. Memorial gifts to her church are appreciated.