Lemon meringue, coconut cream, blackberry, everyone loves pie.
You didn’t have to know Dorothy Taylor to love her because you are already crazy about her pies. Her recipes have been cheering up the denizens of Perryville for over forty years at Park-Et.
Dorothy Lois Taylor left this world peacefully on October 17, 2021 at 90 years of age. She’ll be remembered not only for the pies we all love, or the exquisite quilts she’s made for hundreds of us, or the thirty years she spent as a business owner from 1960s-90s, but for her boundless energy and her unparalleled ability to live a life dedicated to others.
Dorothy was born in Iowa to Francis Joshua and Elsie “Bee” (Gray) Hudson on October 3, 1931. She grew up on a sheep farm in Perry County that sat on what is now Interstate 55. As a little girl she rode to town in the back of a wagon, made her own mattresses from cotton grown on the farm and went to school in a one-room schoolhouse. She loved to take care of her family; her brothers, her sisters, her parents, and even her aunt Hester. It was her paternal grandmother who taught her to make those pies we all love.
Dorothy went to work first at the Intersection Restaurant in Perryville and then the International Shoe Factory in St. Louis (in what is now the City Museum). She danced the Foxtrot at Casa Loma Ballroom.
She married Eugene ‘Gene’ John Taylor of Perryville on January 20, 1950. They raised their family in St. Charles, MO and in 1967 she started her first business, Dot’s Beauty Salon, which she ran from 1967-71. He passed away June 2, 2018.
When Dorothy and her family returned to Perryville in 1971 Dorothy bought and ran Park-Et Restaurant. She then owned and operated Charwood Restaurant and spent over 10 years cooking up fantastic food for Perryville. She sewed bridesmaid dresses for Perryville weddings before she opened her next business as a seamstress, Curtain Call, which she ran from 1984-98. There, she put her formidable sewing skills to use for Perry County creating curtains, drapes and doing other alterations. Anyone who’s ever been lucky enough to see one of her quilts-dozens of which have taken home prizes at local picnics-can attest that they are works of art. Each crafted over hours and weeks with precision, creativity and love.
Dorothy had two secrets to her pies; the one I can tell you is that you always make them in batches of three because if you are going to make a mess, you might as well make more people happy. That was her approach to life; make more people happy. She was an active member of the Women’s auxiliary of the VFW for forty years and served as its president in the early 90s. She organized coat drives, canned food drives, VA Bingo, poppy drives, bake sales and quilt raffles, all to benefit the people of Perry County. In her retirement years she sewed quilts for dozens of charity raffles, and loved making quilts and unique hand crafted items for her family and friends, as well as keeping them in a constant supply of homemade cookies and her garden’s bounty.
Dorothy leaves behind her a family who loved her deeply; three sons and one daughter, Randy (Joyce) Taylor, Richard (Elizabeth) Taylor, Glen (Kay) Taylor, Joyce (Denny) Sutterer all of Perryville; one sister, Ethel (Leon) Schumer of Perryville, one brother, Leonard “Shorty” (Donna) Hudson, of Perryville, 11 grandchildren, Travis (Misty) Taylor, Randy Taylor, Katie Palmer, Joshua (Teri) Taylor, Ashley (David Bryden) Taylor, Ethan (Raychel) Taylor, Cole (Kim) Taylor, Kristen (Kris) Klaus, Jared Sutterer, Alison (Chris) Porter, Danielle (Matt) Rayoum and 24 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, four sisters, Hattie Hudson, Sylvia Needham, Iva Reeser and Thelma Jones; four brothers, Francis, Lawrence, Rollin and Bernie.
The main ingredient to all of Dorothy’s pies was one well-known truth; they were best eaten at her kitchen table. Over that table she channeled her energy into helping everyone she knew do better, feel better, and go further. Dorothy could help anyone see the path through any problem, and those problems always felt less serious with pie, cookies and her company. She was loved. She will be missed. Without her, no pie will ever taste the same.
Visitation will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 at Ford and Young Funeral Home in Perryville.
Funeral Service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 at Ford and Young Funeral Home with Rev. Kevin Barron officiating.
Burial will be at Home Cemetery in Perryville.
Memorial preferences are the Diabetics Foundation and American Heart Association.
Online condolences may be made at www.fordandyoungfuneralhome.com.
Ford & Young Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.