Early Life
Alma Jean Currey was born on April 5, 1912, in Plainville, Rooks County, Kansas, to Hiram M. Currey and his wifeNarrative Report for Alma Jean …. A short notice in the Plainville Times shared the happy news: “A little daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Currey Thursday of last week.”
Tragically, Alma’s mother passed away when Alma was just a year and a half old. With her father struggling to raise his young children, Alma went to live with the DeShazer family in Ottawa, Kansas. The 1920 U.S. census lists seven-year-old Alma as a boarder in their householdNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
By 1925, Alma was reunited with her father in Gray County, Kansas, while two of her older sisters, Myrtle and Winnie, lived nearby in Ford CountyNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Marriage and Family Life
At just 17 years old, Alma married Joseph Johnson “Bud” Taylor on December 14, 1929, in Olathe, Johnson County, KansasNarrative Report for Alma Jean …. Their marriage came at a challenging time—the Great Depression had just begun.
The couple lived in Kansas City, Kansas, where Joseph worked as a casket trimmer. Census records show them in Perry, Jefferson County, Kansas, in 1940, where they were raising their familyNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Together, Alma and Joseph had four children:
- Jerry Joe Taylor (1932–2001), who married Beverly Viann Borthick.
- Ronald Taylor (born 1935), who later married Deena.
- William Dean Taylor (1938–2011), who married Ruth in 2000.
- Edith Sue Taylor (1947–2016), who married Bobby RynearsonNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Over the years, the family moved from Kansas to Illinois, and later to California. By the mid-1940s, they were living in Los Angeles and later in the nearby community of BellNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Later Years
Joseph Taylor passed away in 1967 at the age of 56, and was buried in Sedona, ArizonaNarrative Report for Alma Jean …. Alma continued to build a life of her own. She attended a Currey family reunion in Sedona in 1964, keeping strong family tiesNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
In 1974, Alma married again—this time to Nate Henry Grenier in Sedona. Nate, born in 1906, lived until 1996, and he too was buried in SedonaNarrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Alma lived in Sedona from the late 1960s onward, enjoying the community and its scenic surroundings.
Death and Legacy
On September 7, 1989, Alma passed away at the age of 77 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Her obituary in the Arizona Daily Sun read:
“Alma J. Grenier, a Sedona resident, died Sept. 7 in Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix. She was 77. Services were today at the First Baptist Church, Sedona, with burial in the Sedona Community Cemetery. Mrs. Grenier was born April 5, 1912, in Plainville, Kans. She moved to Arizona in 1969 from California. Survivors are her husband, N. Henry Grenier, Sedona; a son, Ronald Taylor, living in California; and a sister, Winnie Crawford of Dodge City, Kan.”Narrative Report for Alma Jean …
Alma was laid to rest at Sedona Community Cemetery on September 11, 1989Narrative Report for Alma Jean ….
Historical Context
Alma’s life spanned much of the 20th century. She was born just before World War I, grew up during the 1920s, and entered adulthood as the Great Depression reshaped American life. She raised her family during World War II, when cities like Los Angeles swelled with war industries and opportunity.
In later years, Alma was part of the great westward migration, leaving the Midwest behind for California and then Arizona. Sedona, where she spent her final decades, was transforming during the 1960s and 70s into a vibrant community known for its red rock landscapes, tourism, and retirement living.
Through all these changes, Alma remained closely tied to her family and her roots. Her journey from the Kansas plains to the Arizona desert mirrors the broader story of many American families in the 20th century—marked by resilience, adaptation, and strong family bonds.