Bonnie Jean Harris Taylor was born on September 18, 1945, at the Cache Valley General Hospital in Logan to Roma Atkinson and George Wallace Harris. Bonnie passed away peacefully on December 12, 2023, exactly one year after her beloved husband died. She was considerate of her family both in her life and in death. She allowed time for her family to say goodbye before she passed after a brief two-week hospital stay.

After her birth in Logan, she lived with her family in Mendon before moving north to Smithfield where she grew up. She helped her siblings in the fields around their farm, especially her older brother Jess. After working in the fields, he would take them to Lagoon or to the lake to water ski.

She graduated from LDS Seminary in 1962 and from North Cache High School in the spring of 1963.

After her graduation, and with the help of the Navy, she attended BYU and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1967.

Bonnie and Graig went to the same high school and performed together in one of the school plays. It wasn't until after Graig's mission that they were formally introduced by his mother. While she was at BYU, Bonnie would travel home to get her hair done. One one of these visits, Bonnie ran into Beth Taylor at the hair salon in Hyde Park. Beth and Bonnie bonded immediately over their shared experiences as nurses. When Beth found out that Bonnie was single she said "Oh, you need to go on a date with my son, Graig!" The next time that Beth saw Graig she told him about running into Bonnie.  He needed to take her out on a date. Although reluctant to take his mother's advice, when Graig saw Bonnie, he thought, "Wow! She's beautiful!" They went to the First Dam Park in Logan Canyon on their first date with some friends.  He proposed on a drive up Logan Canyon. He said, "So if things keep going the way they are now, we should make this forever!" They were married in the Logan Temple on April 2, 1968 and were happily married for 54 years.

The Navy paid for college and a stipend that allowed her to buy a new red Chevrolet. She let her brother Ed drive the red car some weekends his freshman year at BYU. He loved that year at BYU with his sister. Such happy memories. She drove to officer training in Rhode Island May 1967. She became engaged to Graig on her way through Utah to Camp Pendleton. After they were married, their first residence was in Carlsbad, California. She was honorably discharged when the Navy found out she was pregnant with Peter.

From California they moved back to Utah for Graig to finish his degree at Utah State. He graduated June 7, 1969 and Peter joined the family 2 days later. Six weeks later they moved across the country to Pittsfield, Massachusetts for Graig's first job with GE. On their way there, they drove two cars. Bonnie and her mother, Roma and baby Peter were in her red Chevrolet and Graig drove his little yellow MGB convertible. Pittsfield was where mom learned the famous fudge recipe we love. The fudge sales were used to raise funds for a new church building.

Eighteen months later, GE transferred them to Cleveland, Ohio where Todd was born. The hospital didn't want to admit our mother because she had a cold. Bonnie calmly asked them where they would like her to deliver her baby? They admitted her.

Graig got a new job in Bedford, Texas. Just a month before Kristin was expected, Graig took a job with Olson farms in Yorba Linda, California. Mom laughs that she met the Doctor for the first time in California when Kristin arrived. There was a brief stay in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but Graig finally got a job in Orem, and so the family returned to Utah.

Alison was born the day mom took a final for her Masters degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Bonnie did not want to postpone the final because she was on a deadline to finish school before her 10 years of eligibility for the Gl bill expired. Heather was the last to come along, and the first that Bonnie was not worrying about schooling for her or Graig.

Bonnie was a wonderful homemaker. She sewed matching outfits when the children were younger. Her home on the west side of Orem had a large garden and enough fruit trees to allow the family to can and preserve fruits and vegetables. Fall was a very busy time. She made canned peaches, pears, green beans and tomatoes. She made grape juice, dill and sweet pickles and chili sauce before salsa was a thing.

She made sure her children were occupied after school. There were piano lessons for all, soccer for the boys and dance lessons for the girls. The result was that mom spent every afternoon in the car taxiing us to the right places.

Graig was often gone on business trips. When he was out of town on a Monday she would sometimes take us to Brick Oven for pizza and free root beer. It made us not miss dad as much. Joyce recently said that mom was the one who kept the home fires burning. Mom was the great woman behind dad. She took care of things at home so he could travel extensively with work, serve as Bishop, volunteer and fulfill other callings.

Cross country skiing was a favorite family activity. We did Taylor jobs around the house or yard all morning, then drove to Aspen Grove or Midway to ski the Wasatch Golf Course.

The beach brought her great peace. She read Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea then we started taking trips each year to Newport Beach or San Diego. In the early years we camped with the old Coleman pop-up trailer on the edge of the cliff in Carlsbad. Other years we stayed in a rental condo or at the Balboa Inn.

Bonnie loved to be with her family. Camping was a way to get us away from the television and interact. She would set up camp for the week at Tony Grove Lake or Red Cliffs by her sister, Joyce. Dad would join us on weekends. Bonnie loved Tony Grove Lake campsite number 31 best because it was closest to the lake. If not available upon arrival, then Bonnie walked the campground each day to see if campsite number 31 was available. One year she moved camp three times to get into campsite 31. Each time Dean, her brother-in-law helped her move.

Bonnie loved books. She was always reading. She shared this love of reading with her children and grandchildren. There were always plenty of books around. She loved reading to her grandchildren. Even to the end when she would tell us which Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Miss Polifax or Aunt Dimity she was reading today. Sometimes she asked us to call her back so she could finish her chapter or the book.

She also loved roses. She created a rose garden for Roma and then planted rose bushes all around her house. She epitomized the parable of the olive tree in Jacob 5, for just as the servants dug, pruned & dunged the olive trees, mom was always weeding, pruning, and feeding her roses. When they were blooming, she would cut and fill vases of them to share and fill her house with delightsome smells. She took vases of roses to the church for the pulpit for many years.

Bonnie loved traveling by car and plane. She visited many places with Graig and her family including Europe, the Holy Land, Ecuador, Brazil, Guatemala, and Hawaii. She loved to winter in California until she upgraded to Hawaii, and finally bought a double wide trailer in Phoenix.

People think of dad walking in the Orem cemetery, but for years mom walked the loop around the Orem Community Park. While we lived near, she walked behind the high school to the trail, walked four laps and home again. She loved to find a penny on the ground. She teased that she might make a morning announcement one day to all MVHS students, "Thank you for dropping your pennies behind the school for Peter's mom to pick up!"

Mom served in all of the auxiliaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the Primary, Young Women's and Relief Society. She worked miracles among the people she served. She captured many hearts of her ward members and when her health failed, they abundantly returned the hours of service that she had given.

She served a mission to Roseville, California with her husband Graig. She was the designated driver and navigator. They made many friends with their service. In these lovely gated communities, street-contacting was impossible. Instead they found missionary-minded families as they went to dinner each night in members' homes. They activated one member, baptized the spouse, & then accompanied the family to the temple to be sealed. They brought the gospel to many people. Their daily exercise in Roseville was walking near Folsom Dam.

Upon returning home, Bonnie continued to study scriptures together with Graig. They read through the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and the seminary manuals multiple times. Often a morning call was answered like this, "Can I call you right back? Graig and I are just finishing scriptures."

Bonnie and Graig prayed together aloud over each meal and morning and night. She missed Graig's prayers this last year. She listened to the conference sessions specifically to hear prayers. She taught us to pray and speak with the Lord, knowing He is listening and eager to answer our prayers.

When Graig was declared legally blind and retired from working, Bonnie became his main chauffeur. She helped him get where he needed to and became his eyes. As her health declined, Graig had the opportunity to serve her until he passed away last year. Then we as children had the opportunity to serve mom, with Alison doing the majority of the work. Alison welcomed Bonnie into her home and set up a suite of rooms with Bonnie's favorite things. Even in the last year, she was happy and optimistic.

For the last few years, Bonnie faithfully watched sacrament meeting and partook of the sacrament each week in her home. Last month, she felt a strong desire to attend church in person and did so twice before she entered the hospital on November 25th.

Bonnie taught us by example. She showed us how to live the gospel of Jesus Christ by praying with us, reading with us, and serving with us. She lived her testimony of the Savior and the Plan of Happiness. We will continue to carry on the legacy she left us and anxiously await the day when we are reunited.

She is survived by her children: Peter (Wendy) children Ariana (Todd Kingsolver) & Myla. Todd (Nikki) children Mack, Brody, & Kate. Kristin (Aaron Spencer) children Nathan, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Susan, & Luke. Alison (Steven Jones) children Charles, Ethan, Eric, & Anika. And Heather (David Brinkerhoff) children Joseph, Hannah, Lily, Lauryn & Leah.

Bonnie is preceded in death by her husband, Loren Graig Taylor,  her parents, George Wallace Harris and Roma Atkinson Harris, and her oldest brother Jess Martin Harris, his wife Virginia Lee Jensen and her brother-in -law Dean Hardman. Her three surviving siblings are Joyce, Dean (Jan), and G. Edward (Marj).

Viewings will be held on Thursday, December 21, 2023 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm and on Friday, December 22, 2023 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. Both viewings will be at the Heatheridge Stake Center, 450 East 2000 North, Orem, Utah.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 22, 2023 at 11:00 am at the Heatheridge Stake Center, 450 East 2000 North, Orem, Utah. Funeral services have been provided by Wing Mortuary in Lehi, Utah.

Interment will be at the Orem Cemetery.

The video streaming link for the funeral is:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Drku31OyiNSWDDVs3G4KA/live

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Fund ℅ LDS Philanthropies, 1450 N. University Ave., Provo, UT 84604; Library for the Blind, 250 N 1950 W, Suite A, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116; Utah State Council for the Blind, 250 N. 1950 W., Salt Lake City, Utah 84116, or The Moran Eye Center, 65 N Mario Capecchi Dr., Salt Lake City, Utah 84112