Nonnie Taylor Mackey

Nonnie Amanette (Hinders)Taylor Mackey, 94, passed away on Sunday, March 13, 2022.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 2 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at St. John Catholic Church with Father Shane Wieck, celebrant.  Burial will follow in Westlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.  In lieu of flowers her memory may be honored with a gift to St. John Catholic Church, 201 St. Johns Rd., Borger, Texas, 79007.

Nonnie was born September 29, 1927, in Brice, Texas to Lawrence John Hinders and Ida Elizabeth Burleson Hinders.  Her father was raising cotton at the time.  She and her family moved to Middle Water, Texas and lived on a farm when she was four years old.  She could remember her dad having a model T Ford. They only ended up staying in Middle Water for about a year. They left Middle Water because of the dust storms. Her father worked on the railroad which is why she said they moved around a lot. At five years old she moved to Sanford, Texas.  She said she can remember washing dishes on a rub board with lye soap and learning how to make corn bread. Another thing Nonnie recalled was her love for her teacher and going to school.  Her family stayed in Sanford until she was in the fourth or fifth grade.  She smiled when she explained another fond memory, the day one of her teachers offered to take her to Amarillo on the train while the teacher shopped, and Nonnie and a friend went to a show.  Also, she recalled selling milk and eggs as a child. At ten, she moved to Hutchinson, Kansas and unfortunately was put back a year in school because of the grading difference.  However, she was able to skip the 7th and 8th grade when she moved back to Sanford, Texas.

When she was asked about years of adolescence, she got a sad look on her face when she explained that her mother died in her sophomore year of high school.  After that she dropped out of high school and tried to find a job.  She had a hard time finding a job and worked here and there for a while.  She then landed a position at a natural gas plant operating the switch board. Because her mother had passed away, she did most of the cooking and cleaning.  When asked about her favorite memory as an adolescent, she smiled.  She said that a memory that comes to mind often was when her dad would give her some money to buy chicken feed with. Instead of buying feed, she would buy a pot roast.  She said her dad would get really upset with her, but once he ate the roast, he didn’t complain.  She chuckled and said that he loved it every time.  The only reason he was upset after that was because he had to go back and buy the chicken feed.

This brings us to the next stage of her life, adulthood. She got married at twenty-four years old to Vaughn Taylor. She explained her wedding as very small. She said it was in a church and she was married in a blue dress. She said that not only was getting married a big step, but this is when she got her first car, a 27 Ford. Quickly after marriage, she had her first son. She went on to have 2 more sons, all spaced five years apart. She enjoyed every minute of raising her boys, but her favorite time spent with them was reading to them and playing games. After having kids, she knew it was important to keep the family in contact, so she planned a family reunion every year and there were 35 people under one roof for a week. One year a tornado came through and everyone had to go to the cellar. The good news is that the tornado missed the town.  Another fond memory she had of adulthood was leading a cub scout team of sixteen kids. She said they would hike, camp, and make musical instruments. Unlike many other people in late adulthood, she decided at 54 years old to go to LPN school. She worked 4 hours a day while going to school to pay for school. After school she mostly worked in ICU. She was a licensed vocational nurse and worked at both St. Anthony’s Hospital and Golden Plains Community Hospital as well as doing some private duty nursing.  Her husband, Vaughn, passed away in 1989.

Nonnie worked until she was 64 years old. She then met a gentleman named Charley. They met because she would go into his home and help with his wife every now and then when she was sick. His wife passed away in 1992. After Nonnie and Charley started spending time together, his spirits started to be lifted.  They then married in 1992. She also talked about her very favorite thing of all, all the fond memories of taking grandchildren camping. Lastly, I ask her what she would tell today’s generation. Her advice is to get an education and do the best you can do. Live every day and enjoy life.

Nothing brought more joy to her life than her grandkids.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husbands, M.V. Taylor, Charles Edward Mackey; son, Paul Ugene Taylor; and several brothers and sisters.

Survivors include sons, John Taylor of Denton, David Taylor of Amarillo; 6 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; brother, Gerald Hinders of Eureka, Missouri; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of extended family.