Elizabeth Taylor Obituary

Elizabeth (Betty) Leah Taylor née Bierma, of Aurora, Colorado, passed away on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at her home in the Modena Senior Living Center in Denver, Colorado.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 13th at 11am at her daughter Lisa’s home in Aurora. For directions or other questions, please call or text Lisa at 720-767-3668. Burial will take place later this year at Story Memorial Gardens in Ames, Iowa.

Expressions of sympathy may be expressed to the family through www.horancares.com Betty used to say, “Give me flowers while I am alive and can enjoy them, not when I am dead!” So, with that in mind, in lieu of flowers or donations in her name, please buy flowers for a friend, family member, the person behind you in line at the grocery store or even yourself.

Elizabeth “Betty” Leah Taylor née Bierma was born to O. Wayne Bierma and Leah Bierma née Smith in Ottumwa, Iowa, on November 29, 1937. She grew up in Nevada, Iowa, with the exception of the war years, which she and her mother spent at her maternal grandparents’ home in Long Island, Kansas, while her father, Wayne, served as a naval officer on LST 582 in the Pacific. In her youth, she enjoyed pheasant hunting with her father and grandfather. Her adored Cocker Spaniel, Skipper, was a constant companion and an exceptional bird dog. Her other childhood passions included dance and playing clarinet. She participated in many recitals and was the drum major for the Nevada High School marching band.

In 1960, she was a member of the first graduating class of Iowa State University (formerly Iowa State College), where she earned her degree in Applied Art. At Iowa State, she enjoyed being a member of Kappa Delta and participating in the many Greek life events and activities, especially the now-banned VEISHEA parade and festivities.

In 1962, she married Stanley L. Taylor. They lived in Ames, where he worked as a pilot and she did secretarial work. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Sioux City, where their family grew. The addition of Scott Llewellyn (1963), Douglas Wayne (1965), and Lisa Marie (1968) filled their little stone house in the Country Club neighborhood.

In 1970, they moved to Colorado. The kids grew, started school, and Betty became an active member of the PTA. In 1978, after Stan and Betty divorced, she took a variety of classes to help her re-enter the workforce, and she obtained her real estate license. She worked for a time with McClure D&F selling homes, but the late 70s and early 80s were a challenging time to be a realtor in Colorado, so she returned to secretarial work. While the children were still in school, she split her time between caring for them and building her career. She became a skilled office manager and worked at several businesses, including Broderick Engineering and the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.

Betty always loved to travel. While married, she traveled all over Colorado with Stan and the kids in an International Harvester Camper. She traveled to Aruba, Venezuela and even lived with Stan and the children in Scandinavia for a month on a boat. She loved to see what was over the next horizon, whether in an RV with her father and mother, with a tour group to Great Britain, exploring the United States and Europe with family, or in anybody’s convertible—any time, anywhere. Travel brought her much joy.

After her retirement, she provided daily care for her local grandchildren: Elias, Ian, Alyssa, and Amanda. She also visited her granddaughter Eli, who lived in Ft Collins, as often as she could. While she loved chocolate, music, dancing, skiing, travel, and a good game of poker or bridge, what she loved above all were her family and friends.

Betty is survived by her children and their spouses, Scott and Pauline, Doug, Lisa and Steven, and by her grandchildren, Anna Elizabeth (Eli), Elias, Ian, Alyssa, and Amanda. She will be missed by all of them.