Julia Anna (Mahan) Taber, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her home on the family farm at Almartha, Mo., on Saturday morning, May 6, 2017.
Julia was born at Brixey, Mo., on July 23, 1925, the youngest child of the late Frank Sherman and Mary Frances (Gaulding) Mahan. Her siblings, who predeceased her, were William Ruskin Mahan and Lois Awilda (Mahan) Luna. Julia’s grandparents and great-grandparents were pioneer citizens of Ozark County, so her roots were deep in the home place she loved. In fact, she was named for her grandmother, Julia Anna (Brown, Gardner) Gaulding, who came to Ozark County in 1845. Julia was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Thomas Brown, well-known pioneer who settled along Bryant Creek.The farm on Brixey Creek where Julia was born is still part of the Taber family farm.
Education was always very important to Julia. As a child, she attended the one-room Lower Brixey School. She then attended three years at Gainesville High School and graduated from Boliver (Mo.) High School while living with her sister, Lois. After several semesters of college at Southwest Baptist and Southeast Missouri State, Julia taught a few terms in the rural schools of Ozark County, including at her beloved Lower Brixey. In the 1950s, she taught kindergarten in Gainesville when it was organized and supported by the local homemakers’ extension clubs. She was active in PTA and supported all her childrens’ educational endeavors.
On June 10, 1949, Julia and Curtis Taber of Ocie, Mo., were married at the Rockbridge Church by the Rev. William Spindler, a minister who was highly influential in her spiritual life. Curtis predeceased Julia in 2007. The couple have two children, Stan Curtis Taber and wife Janet, of Almartha, and Beth (Taber) Peters and husband, Jim, of West Plains. Julia is also survived by five grandchildren, Matthew Curtis Taber of Gainesville, Sarah Taber of Kansas City, Susannah Alms and husband Derek of Gainesville, Andrew Peters and wife Emily of Cassville, and Julie Gower and husband, Jeffrey, of Leawood, Kan. There are also eight great-grandchildren, one niece, Carolyn Wilson and husband John, of Willard, and her brother-in-law, Douglas Taber, of West Plains.
During the 58 years of their marriage, Julia worked as an active partner alongside Curtis to build the family farm into a thriving, successful operation. Although she suffered some serious health issues in her life, Julia never let her challenges define her. Instead, she was a shining example of overcoming obstacles with determination, courage and, most of all, a deep and abiding faith that she shared with everyone around her. Her beauty, kindness and dignity of character were hallmarks of her life.
Julia was a member of the First Christian Church in Gainesville, Chapter JP of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and the Order of the Eastern Star.
The family gratefully acknowledges the loving care given to Julia by a group of extraordinary women. For the past several years, Ruth Adams, Sue Erter, Deanna Fox, Charlotte Koop, Sue Porter, Norma Ross and Cindy Smith devotedly served as friends, companions and caregivers.
Visitation for Julia Anna Taber will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at First Christian Church, Gainesville, Mo., with funeral services following at 11. Former pastor Bobby Jo Wade will officiate. A private burial will take place at the Souder Cemetery. Memorials can be made to First Christian Church, PO Box 125, Gainesville, Mo., or to the Souder Cemetery, c/o E.J. Hampton, 296 County Rd 134, Wasola, MO, 65773.
