Warren Henry Taylor Jr. & Stephanie Lois Duncan Courtship and Wedding

Stephanie was born in 1949, as the oldest daughter (of 5 children; 4 girls, 1 boy) of Norman Duncan and Flora Miles. She grew up in Orem, Utah and attended high school there, excelling in sports, to include holding the discus throwing record in her high school region.

After high school, Stephanie attended Utah State University on a scholarship for several years, but irregularly due to illness which was finally corrected by surgery.  After healing nicely from the surgery, she decided to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), where she honorably served a full term in the California South Mission for 18 months in the early 1970's.

Following return from her mission, Stephanie attended Brigham Young University to graduate in 1975 with a bachelors degree in Art Education.  She soon got a job teaching at Bingham Junior High in south-west Salt Lake Valley, where she taught Art for 3 years while commuting from Utah Valley to her school teaching job in Bingham Canyon.  It was at this time that she met Warren, while she was serving as the genealogy instructor in the same BYU student branch where he was attending also.

Warren was born in 1945, as the oldest son (of 5 children; 3 boys, 2 girls) of Warren Taylor and Amelia Wargoski and was raised in Rutland Vermont, where he graduated valedictorian from Rutland High School. He received a scholarship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to receive a BS in physics in 1967. Warren then went on to attend UC Berkeley (1967 to 1969) on a National Defense Education Act (NDEA) fellowship. A 1968 draft notice to serve in the Vietnam War interrupted his PhD program in physics (non-linear optics), which was completed in its entirety except for the research thesis, resulting in a Masters degree award prior to entering on active duty. Warren served 4 years active military service in the US Army (1969 to 1973; all completed stateside), 2 years as an enlisted man, and 2 years as an officer (Signal Corps), where he held the rank of Captain.

After Army duty, Warren served two years as a missionary for the LDS Church in the Tokyo Japan Mission, 1973 to 1975. He then returned to Berkeley briefly, before going on to Brigham Young University (BYU) in Orem, Utah, to obtain a Masters degree in statistics. It was during his studies at BYU that Warren met Stephanie Duncan at a Temple session in March 1977 from which time after a few dates and a brief courtship, he was enthralled enough to ask her hand in marriage.

Warren was enchanted with Stephanie for many reasons, beyond just good brains and good looks.  Just a few of the many reasons included

(1) She was attractive, intelligent, hard working, and practical,

(2) She was courteous, affectionate, and considerate of others,

(3) She was of the same faith as Warren, active and interested in church,

(4) She had performed voluntary service as a missionary,

(5) She was interested in people and a life of service to others,

(6) She loved children and wanted a large family,

(7) She came from a large family and knew all about raising children and family life

(8) Her parents had both served religious missions, just as she did,

(9) Her parents were both well educated and valued education.

(10) Her father Norman had degrees in chemistry and agronomy.

(11) Her mother Flora had a masters in elementary education,

(12) Her mother Flora was a school teacher, self-sufficient, with awards for excellence,

(13) Stephanie herself had a profession for 3 years as a junior school teacher, with junior high school being the hardest of all grade levels to teach,

(14) Her four brothers and sisters were all attractive, smart, educated, athletic, personable, well-adjusted, and mature,

(15) She had excellent verbal skills, excellent memory, and unique abilities in areas for which Warren was either totally ignorant or incompetent,

(16) She was still unmarried and available (incredibly), despite all the above,

(17) Warren had never met anyone like her, and didn’t think he would ever meet another,

(18) Warren had no doubts that this was the one.

Warren and Stephanie settled in Long Beach, California.  Stephanie wanted to live in Southern California, since she had served there during her mission.  Warren worked two years in statistical engineering at McDonald Douglas Air Craft Company in Long Beach, and then as an  aerospace engineer at TRW (now Northrop Grumman) in Redondo Beach.

Their family consisted of 5 children:  son Christopher (1978), twin sons Daniel and Duncan (1979), Samuel (1982), and Mary (1986).  Chris looked exactly like the handsome “Gerber baby” pictured on jars of baby food and boxes of baby cereal.  In fact, one of the snapshots of him was taken next to a Gerber’s baby cereal box to show the striking resemblance.  Identical twins Daniel and Duncan were a special surprise, because the doctor and delivery room staff were totally unaware that a multiple birth would occur.  Samuel’s birth came later, after waiting two years, because of the hardships of trying to handle three babies all under 2 years old.  And Mary was a delight and answer to prayers, for a girl at last after four boys.

Biggest news was marriage of youngest Son Samuel to Liz Schwebach in 2005, and arrival of first two grandchildren, Kathrine (2006) and John (2007). Mary also learned to speak Spanish for missionary service in Chile (2007-2008).