Willie Taylor, the son of the late John and Rosetta Taylor, step-son of the late Ruth Taylor, was born in Essex on May 24, 1937, and died at the Rockford Memorial Hospital in Rockford, Ill., on Sept. 24, 2004, at the age of 67.

Mr. Taylor retired from the Delmonte Corp. where he had worked for 27 years. He joined the church at an early age in Grayridge.

On May 14, 1958, he married Ozlee Hunt in Bloomfield.

Surviving are his wife, Ozlee Taylor of Chicago, Ill.; one daughter, Ruth Anita Reyes of Chicago, Ill.; two step-daughters, Janie Moreno and Bertha Ceballos, both of Rockford, Ill.; one brother, Cleveland Taylor of Essex; one step-sister, Ella Mae Guerin of Marion, Ind.; two grandchildren; 13 step-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one step-daughter, Julie Belmonte; one brother, Jerry Taylor; and two sisters, Willie Mae Clark and Lula Taylor.

Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. today, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at the Unger-Horner Funeral Home, 400 N. 6th Street, Rochelle, Ill.

A visitation will also be held after 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, in the Watkins & Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter with Rev. Moses Grayson of Essex officiating.

Interment will follow in the Macedonia Cemetery in Malden with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements.