William "Bill" Taylor

William R. Bill Taylor Jr., 86, of Great Falls, died on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at the family home. He was recently diagnosed with liver and kidney cancer.A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 15, 2013 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Burial will be held at Hillside Cemetery in Cascade, MT. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements.Bill was born to Wm. Raymond and Izetta Taylor on March 29, 1927 in Cascade, Montana. He grew up on the family ranch which was originally started in 1882 by his pioneering grandfather, Wm. B. Taylor. Three other Taylor brothers ranched west of Cascade also.He graduated in 1945 from Cascade High School, and he served in the United States Army from 1945 to 1947. Between 1948 and 1954, he often did road construction during the summers; during winters he helped on the ranch along with doing some auto mechanic work. His lifes work was as a Petroleum Engineering Specialist for Phillips Petroleum Company based in Bartlesville, OK. He worked 31 years for PPC, traveling in most of 11 western states between 1954 and 1985.One of Bills hobbies as a youth was building model aircraft. Eventually he earned a private pilots license, with commercial, instrument, and seaplane ratings. He loved to pilot single engine airplanes. He owned two Cessna Aircraft: a Cessna 140 and then a Cessna 182. He flew to several locations in Canada, including Whitehorse, the Yukon Territories, and many points in Alaska including Fort Yukon, above the Arctic Circle. He also flew down the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, as well as to many places in the western and central states.He served in the following organizations: The AmVets, BPOE, Montana Flying Farmers and Ranchers, Wilderness Wings, and Central Assembly of God Church in Great Falls, MT. He served in several offices in MT Flying Farmers, and he was named Man of the Year in 1974.He was married to Clara Tanner in Great Falls, from 1956 to 1963. In 1964, he married Sereta Gerhart.Bill is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Sereta; daughter Carrie Lynn (Randy) Gregory of Phelan, CA; grandson Michael William (Jenn) Gregory; great-granddaughter, Madison Taylor Gregory of Kingman, AZ; a step-daughter he helped to raise, Holly (Greg) Heser of Lewistown and their children, Sereta Heser of Glasgow, MT, Garth Heser and Ava Heser of Billings, MT(he enjoyed being their grandpa too); and close cousins, Calvin (Jean) Triol, Beverly Anderson-Lahr, Dr. Mark Mason and Gary Mason of Virginia, and Charles Mason of Maryland.He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Brian; son Robert Raymond Taylor; and a great-grandson, Madix William Gregory.