Jeanne A. McCulley

Jeanne McCulley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, went to be with the Lord at 4:24 am, January 6, 2025 at the age of 97. She passed peacefully, in the presence of loved ones.

Jeanne resided at Maranatha Manor located in Maranatha Village, Sebring, Florida. Prior, she had resided in a home shared with her husband, Harold, at Maranatha Village.

Jeanne Ann Taylor was born at home on November 5th, 1927 to Merritt and Lillian Taylor in St. Louis, Missouri as the third of five children. Though her oldest sibling, Lillian (Muss) was eight years older and youngest sibling, Betty was eight years younger, her Father, Mother, and all the children were extremely close.

The Taylor family began during the depression years and like many families, were faced with extremely challenging times. In an autobiography, Jeanne shared that her mom at one point,reboiled a soup bone a number of times, only adding vegetables and barley to make meals for the family. Undeterred, father Merritt Taylor continued to work hard and eventually started a box lunch business he called Taylor Made Dinner Pail Box Lunch Co., selling to workers at various manufacturing plants around the city. He had found a niche and turned it into a success. What began as a single person business in the home basement eventually grew into a very successful enterprise based in a custom created building employing five others. The company grew further to include a drive-in restaurant and a root beer syrup manufacturing company. Jeanne remarked in her autobiography, that while she and two older siblings initially worked at the business without pay, they were pleased to be able to contribute to the family and its welfare. Though they were paid at a later date, she said the work provided good training, something more important than money.

Upon graduating high school, Jeanne furthered her education by enrolling in a school to learn how to operate a comptometer (which was then a state-of-the-art advanced computing device). Armed with an in demand skill, she secured a job at the home office of the Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis. The founder,William Danforth was running the company and the experience was very formative, affording many opportunities to learn business and life skills.

After around five years at Ralston Purina, the notion of seeing more of the world beckoned and Jeanne moved to Los Angeles where she had relatives and secured employment with the General Electric Supply Company where she met a some what shy, intelligent, and kind man, Harold McCulley. Though she also considered herself shy, Jeanne and Harold (Hal) found they had a lot in common, especially that they were both Christians and they came from large families. The mutual shyness was quickly overcome by chemistry.

The two began dating and often danced at the Palladium in Los Angeles, where famous bands of the era would play, as Jeanne put it, “Dreamy music”. Later into the relationship, it would be there that the somewhat shy Hal would float the idea of marriage by saying, “I’d like to get you on a slow boat to China”.(Slow boat to China was a popular big band song then.) They’d sometimes finish the evening with dollar-sized pancakes at a popular restaurant called Ollie Hammond’s, where the occasional movie star would also dine. 

Though a close relationship had formed, Hal and Jeanne decided to wait to become engaged as Hal was drafted into the Army, a situation many couples of the time had to face. After three years in the Korean War theater, Hal returned home and at that time, Jeanne and Hal officially became engaged,marrying in Denver, Colorado in 1954. It was there, oldest daughter, Jeanne Rae was born. At the time, Hal was serving in the Air Force Reserve. Hal joined the “Regular” Air Force and was assigned to Japan. As was procedure then, Hal travelled to Japan on his own to become oriented to assigned duties and responsibilities. About five months later, Jeanne and eldest daughter Jeanne R. travelled by ship to join him. This was the beginning of their world adventure. 

Jeanne and Hal spent a 28 year career stationed in Japan, New Mexico, North Dakota, Germany, Texas, Japan (again), and Massachusetts. When time allowed, they enjoyed exploring many adjacent cities and even countries. 

Often, when military children are asked, “where are you from? ”the response is “all over”. In the finest military ‘brat’ tradition, it follows, that eldest daughter, Jeanne R., was born in Colorado, middle daughter Janice, was born in Japan, and youngest daughter Carol, was born in New Mexico. 

It is poetic somehow, that the three daughters can logically claim they are from ‘all over’, because Hal and Jeanne, from the very beginning, instilled in their children the importance of God; that His love is also ‘all over’. Next to knowing the Lord, what made her happy was that the small seed of faith planted and nurtured in all three daughters grew into a strong plant of unshakable belief and love for our Father, God. Happier still,was watching her girls teach the same values to their children,and, now the children’s children are learning these same important lessons. This is legacy defined in the very best sense of the word.

Throughout the career in the military, Jeanne and Hal were unshakably faithful and active in the Church. Further, Jeanne taught Sunday School, was president of women’s groups,worked with missionaries, conducted bible studies and reached out through cooking, cake decorating, English classes to any and all who might be interested. The term “tireless advocate” only begins to describe her actions. By personal experience, I know these efforts to be bountiful for our Lord. 

After retirement from the Air Force, Jeanne and Hal moved to Lake Lure, North Carolina, to continue God’s work at a Christian Retreat Center, Charity Lodge. Upon retirement of the lodge, Hal and Jeanne decided to do the same and moved to Maranatha Village in Sebring, Florida. 

Maranatha Village, where a fine group of retired missionaries,pastors, and other faithful servants of God had set-up acommunity, immediately felt like home and there they decided to remain for almost 36 years. 

In February 2011, Hal sustained a stroke and had to move to a nursing home where Jeanne visited him faithfully nearly everyday tending to any need Hal might have. Hal went to be with the Lord on November 26, 2014. It was a 60 year love story. 

Soon after, Jeanne began to develop health issues which ultimately necessitated moving into Maranatha Manor in 2016. Though reluctant at first, the thoughtful care and love received from each of the kind people there, quickly turned reluctance into gratitude.

January 6, 2025 at 4:24 am, after a period of declining health, our beloved Jeanne Ann McCulley left earth for heaven after 97 years loving on people and serving them. She was surrounded by family members who will never stop loving her. 

Jeanne McCulley was preceded in passing by her husband Harold in 2014; and survived by her daughters, Jeanne Francis,(spouse Keith), Janice Chinn, (spouse Steve), and Carol Taft (spouse Charles), brother, John "Jack" Taylor, 10 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. All whose lives she touched are all the better for it.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Maranatha Manor, 54 Maranatha Blvd., Sebring, FL  33870.