Georgianna (Hall) Taylor

Georgianna Taylor

Georgianna Taylor, 78, of Hamilton, died of natural causes on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016.

A celebration of life will be held for friends and family of Georgianna at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Hamilton on Friday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. Cremation has taken place.

Georgianna was born on May 25, 1938, in Ipswich, S.D., the daughter of the late George A. and Fay M. Hall. Raised in Conrad and Cut Bank, Georgianna excelled in the classroom and was a talented vocalist who graduated from Cut Bank High School in 1956 and attended the University of Montana. She married John Kavanagh in Cut Bank in 1959 and they had two children, Brian and Barb, and later divorced. Georgianna completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Montana in 1968. She was an accomplished journalist who worked at the Shelby Promoter, the Cut Bank Pioneer Press and The Missoulian.

Georgianna later married Alan R. Taylor. The pair raised their families in Missoula and Fort Collins, Colo. While living in Fort Collins, Colo., she was on the staff of The Coloradoan where she was employed as a sports reporter, feature writer and sports columnist.

When she returned to Montana, Georgianna settled in Hamilton and began working again for The Missoulian. She co-authored the popular “Dirty Fingernails” weekly column with Molly Hackett. She was also a sports and feature writer in The Bitterroot View, which was published weekly by The Missoulian.

Georgianna also co-authored two gardening books, The Compleat Gardener and A Year in the Garden with Molly Hackett. Her love of gardening and expertise were well known throughout the Bitterroot Valley.

Georgianna was a talented seamstress and quilter and many of her quilts were award-winners. Her children, grandchildren and many friends were recipients of her beautiful creations.

Her unselfish and giving nature were most evident in her volunteer work and support of the local Hospice, Habitat for Humanity and many other community programs. She was a charter member of Chapter AW-PEO in Cut Bank and later demitted to Chapter BC in Hamilton. She was honored as a 50-year member in PEO in 2008. Her other interests included playing in the Hand Bell Choir, volunteering around the Bitterroot Valley, and collecting hedgehog memorabilia from around the world.

More important to Georgianna than her career and community accomplishments was her role as a mother and grandmother. She passed many of her skills, interests and a passion for helping others on to her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her brother, George L. (Sandra) Hall, Colorado Springs, Colo.; son Brian (LeAnne) Kavanagh, Cut Bank; daughter Barb (Tres) Genger, Kent, Wash.; grandsons Brandon Kavanagh, Cut Bank; Kevin (Alyssa) and great-grandson, Carter, Bozeman; Nate (Ashley) Kavanagh, Helena; granddaughter Jessie Genger, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; and grandson Skyler Genger, Kent, Wash.; nephew George M. Hall, Greely, Colo.; and niece Stacey Robbins, Denver, Colo.

Memorials are suggested to Habitat for Humanity or the Bitter Root Humane Association.