In Memory

Darrell C. Taylor

Darrell C. Taylor


 

Darrell C. Taylor

August 4, 1944 ~ March 19, 1972


                          


 What we know of Darrell's life was reported in articles focusing on the accident which claimed his life, along with the lives of his wife, younger bronther and another motorist on March 19th, 1972.  We have combined and re-edited those to put our limited information into a single story.  


SIOUX FALLS,  South Dakota and OGDEN, Utah -                     

Darrell C. Taylor, 27, of 3450 Adams, Ogden, Utah, passed away on March 19, 1972. He was born Aug. 4, 1944, in Ogden, a son of Wayne L. and Marcene Manning Taylor.

He was reared and educated in Ogden, graduating from Weber high school in 1962. 

Darrell in the Roy JH (Memory Lane) yearbook, 9th grade, 1958-59

He was married to Darlene Florence Soldatke on May 1, 1969, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who also died in the accident with him.

Darrell served in the US Army for three years, serving one year in Vietnam. He had separated from Army Service in 1969.He was a student at Weber State College at the time of the accident and a member of the LDS Church.

Darrell's wife, who also perished, was Mrs. Darlene. Soldatke Taylor was born Oct. 19, 1949, in Webster,  South Dakota., a daughter of Paul J. and Florence Mary Gonsoir Soldatke.

She and Darrell were married on May 1, 1969, in Sioux Falls,  South Dakota

Darlene, a member of the Catholic Church, was reared and educated in South Dakota and came to Ogden in 1969.  She was a student at Weber State College and was a waitress at the Ogden Holiday Inn.

Surviving Darlene were her parents of Webster, South Dakota; three brothers and one sister.

Darrell's younger brother, Steven Taylor, who was also killed in the accident, was born Oct. 20, 1950, in Ogden, also a son of Wayne L. and Marcene Manning Taylor.

Steven was reared and educated in Weber County and graduated from Roy High School in 1968.  He was a student at Columbia University in New York City at the time of the accident and a member of the LDS Church.

The accident took place on US 95 two miles from the former Gold Rush mining "boom town" of Goldfield, Nevada and involved a high speed collision between Darrell's car and a car driven by Darin Fain, 25, of Las Vegas, Nevada, who also perished in the crash.  

All of the victims were pronounced dead at a Tonopah, Nevada mortuary. There were no survivors of the accident.  No further details were available.

Darrell and Darlene had no children.

Joint services  were held for all three of the Weber County residents.  Darrell C. Taylor, 27, his wife, Mrs. Darlene S. Taylor, 22, and his brother, Steven W. Taylor, 21, on Friday at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of the Flowers Mortuary in the Ogden area.

Lawrence D. Olpin, former president of the Lorin Farr LDS Stake, officiated.

Friends were invited to call at the Mortuary Friday from 10 until 11 a.m.

Burial for Mr. and Mrs. Taylor was in Sioux Falls,  South Dakota.  Burial for Steven Taylor was in the Aultorest Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah.

Surviving Darrell and Steven were their parents, Wayne L. Taylor of Arlington, Virginia and Mrs. Marcene Carroll of Port Charlotte, Florida; a brother, Leslie M. Taylor, Roy; a sister, Miss Margaret Taylor of Port Charlotte, and a grandmother, Mrs. Blanch Taylor of Ogden.


We have been unable to discover any post-Weber photos or more personal info about Darrell and his wife.  Any comments and submissions are much appreciated.


Story of the fatal accident from 3/20/72 edition of the Salt Lake Tribune

 

As reported in the Obituary section of the Ogden Standard-Examiner (3/23/1972):

 

 

Brief joint obituaries from the Salt Lake Tribune

Full page scan of accident story from the first page of the local section of the Salt Lake Tribune of 3/20/1972. Story is at the bottom center of the page.


The Class In Memory Project thanks Wendy Simmons Johnson, dauther of Classmates Jane Chugg Renstrom and Serge Simmons, and Classmates Earl Henstra and James Keller for their efforts in gathering and assembling the informtion on this page.  Page posted July 17, 2012. 


                                                                     



 
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07/17/12 10:51 PM #1    

Darrell Hargis

Darrell  and I formed a friendship because of our name connection.   He was a pretty quiet kind of guy, but we seemed to find things to talk about.  

After thinking about Darrell, I feel so bad that he and his wife were taken from us so early in their lives.

I sincerley feel the spirits of our former classmates will be among us at the renunion.

Sleep well my friend.

Darrell T. Hargis


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