Yancey UM honored for 60 years of service to churches

Kerrville District United Methodists honored a Yancey woman Jan. 27 for 60 years of service to churches and communities across Texas.
Jonell Wiemers Taylor, Yancey UMC, received the 2007 Bishop’s Exemplar Award for the Kerrville District.
Another 26 church members were given discipleship awards during the yearly district celebration luncheon. The certificates recognized their distinguished Christian witness and service.
More than 260 people attended the event at Fredericksburg UMC.
“I’m without words,” Taylor said after accepting the Exemplar Award. “I did it all for the glory of God. Thanks be to God!”
Bishop Joel N. Martinez presents the Exemplar Award annually to laypeople selected by each district board of laity “for witness, commitment and service after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Taylor has been actively involved in Methodist congregations since she joined the Yancey church in 1945. Starting in 1951, she and her sister, Lucille, cleaned the church each week, served as communion stewards and attended youth fellowship.
After leaving Yancey for business college, Taylor has belonged to Browning UMC, San Antonio; Waples Memorial UMC, Denison; Yancey UMC (second time); New Fountain UMC, Hondo; Clifton UMC; St. Paul UMC, Temple; Athens UMC; and First UMC, Seguin.
At each church Taylor has been involved. She has sung in the choir, been active in United Methodist Women, taught Sunday school, filled various church offices and often worked with the youth group.
In Athens she served as church secretary, campus ministry secretary at Henderson County Junior College and president of the ecumenical Church Women United.
Through the years Taylor has received numerous recognitions for leadership and service in various local churches and districts from United Methodist Women.
When her husband, Richard, retired from the Texas Farm Bureau in 1991, Taylor returned to the Yancey church for the third time.
Over the past 15 years in Yancey, she has served on numerous committees, participated in United Methodist Women, assembled the 2006 church membership directory and been church historian. She has also served on the Kerrville District Nominating Committee.
As Yancey church historian, Taylor has reviewed, organized and filed all congregational records since 1890. She recommended that the church purchase a glass display case to show various artifacts.
Discipleship Award certificates went to members of 18 different congregations:

> First UMC, Bertram—Madeline Lewis, Ken Odiorne.
> First UMC, Carrizo Springs—Jeanie Frasier.
> Gaddis Memorial UMC, Comfort—Billie Sparger.
> First UMC, Dilley—Chris Stephenson.
> Fredericksburg UMC—Randy Busch.
> Highland Lakes UMC, Buchanan Dam—Jeff and Bettie Ingham, Gayle Shirey.
> First UMC, Kerrville—Frank and Jerilyn Keith.
> First UMC, Lampasas—Mack Carroll.
> Lakehills UMC—Sandi Hicks.
> Leakey UMC—Carol Morrison.
> Lometa UMC—Dorothy Person, Walter Ruzicka.
> First UMC, Marble Falls—Bob and Judy Miller.
> Medina UMC— Clint Bock.
> New Fountain UMC, Hondo—Larry Oefinger, Richard Saathoff, Peg Tindall.
> First UMC, Pearsall—Dave Richey.
> First UMC, Sabinal—June Hawkes.
> First UMC, San Saba—Elsie Millican.
> Utopia UMC—Joan Clark.