Mary Jo Emery Taylor was born June 24, 1932 in Claremore, Oklahoma. She was welcomed into this world by her parents, Jack Emery and Pearl Conway Emery, and a brother Cleatus.

Mary Jo's early years were spent living in the countryside near Wagoner. She was raised primarily by her mother and a loving set of grandparents, whom she had a very close relationship with throughout their lives. Mary Jo  told that she only received one spanking from her grandmother, and that was for wearing her new Easter dress and shoes down into the fields to show them how cute she looked. She said she only did that one time.

Each day she walked down the old dirt road with a couple of her classmates to the little country school house. But she didn't like school and couldn't wait to start wearing makeup and fixing her hair the way she liked it.

And so she did.

Her teen years were spent in the Muskogee area. Mary Jo was a strong willed young lady. She wanted to do what she wanted to do. She loved to dance, yes that girl loved to dance, and that girl could dance. Around age fourteen, she would sneak downtown to a small honky-tonk that was owned by family friends, and they would let her stay until around nine o'clock in the evening and dance. Then she would high tail it home with an excuse she had thought up to tell her mother. She loved to dance so much that she and her brother, Cleatus would enter dance competitions in the area and would usually win .

This small town girl had big dreams and desires. She wanted to get out of the small town and experience the wonders of the big world.

And so she did.

Mary Jo was a beauty. She struck out for a modeling career in Kansas City and on to California. She had the time of her life for a short while but became homesick and returned back home to Muskogee. She began working in a local restaurant owned by her mother.

One afternoon she was working and was having a rough day…..including a bad hair day! Of course of all days, wouldn't you know, this tall, dark, handsome young man came in to eat lunch. He was alone. As she waited his table, they made eye contact, both trying not to stare too much at one another. As the young man was beginning to leave he found the courage to ask Mary Jo if he could drive her home.

And so she did.

After a few dates, they had fallen in love and announced that they were going to marry. Mary Jo Emery and Donald Taylor tied the knot. And off to California they went. Donald was in the Navy and stationed in California. After his tour of duty they returned to Oklahoma where they soon started their family and had three children whom they adored.

Mary Jo was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend to so many. She and Don spent much of their time visiting with their families and relatives. Mary Joe enjoyed an exciting life traveling, living on the beaches of Florida and Alabama. She and Don were very sociable people, and on weekends met family and friends for dinner and dancing. Those two were always dressed to the nines. They looked like Hollywood stars.

And so she did.

Mary Jo loved life. If you were with her, you were going to be having a good time. Mary Jo made you feel comfortable and really cared about you. She lived life to the fullest, enjoying everyone and everything until her health prevented her from doing so.

The loss of her husband broke her heart. The pain was great. There were those who were drew close to her to love, comfort and console her, but it just wasn't the same. There was such a large void in her heart and life. Over the past few years, her health began to deteriorate and continued to do so quite rapidly.

On a cold wintery Wednesday morning of December 18, 2019, our precious Mary Jo went home to be with the love of her life, other family members, dear friends, and her Heavenly Father.

And so she did.

Mary Jo is survived by her three children:  Donald Joe Taylor of Tulsa, Katona Taylor of Tulsa and Jack Lee Taylor and wife, Peggy, of Alabama; two granddaughters:  Nikole Holcomb of Okmulgee and Amanda Curtis and husband, Joe of Jenks; four great-grandchildren; extended family and friends.

For those of us who have been blessed to have had a relationship with Mary Jo, we already feel the void of this precious little lady. We will definitely miss her infectious laugh, her humor, her warmth, her quick wit, her generosity, her great cooking, and that twinkle in her green eyes.

She will always have a place in our hearts.

We know that we have been blessed by having her in our lives.

This is not good-bye my dear; this is "Until we meet again."

We love you Mary Jo!

Family and friends will gather at Elmwood Cemetery in Wagoner at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 26, 2019 to celebrate a life well lived.