God called our loving, Hester Elizabeth Strickland, to His Eternal Home peacefully on Monday, April 24, 2023. Hester was born on February 3, 1931, in Schoho, Kentucky, Logan County to the late Lemmie and Myrtie (Hardin) Taylor. The family thereafter moved to Russellville Kentucky, where she grew up.

At an early age Hester was baptized at Townsend Grove Missionary Baptist Church. She attended the Russellville, Kentucky County School System finishing at Townsend Grove Community School. She was employed at the Catholic Church in Russellville as a Child Care Provider until meeting the love of her life, a United States Marine named Marcell Strickland. Well, you know the story, Marcell and Hester united in marriage on March 28, 1956 and thereafter relocated to Akron, Ohio.

Hester served, worshipped, and was a faithful member of Trinity Baptist Church on Hartford Avenue until her health started to decline. On May 10, 1978, she joined and was a dedicated member of the Eastern Star, Lady Massey Chapter #117. Hester was employed at Summit Potato leaving on a disability retirement due to a work injury. Later, Hester started working for Stewart and Calhoun Funeral Home, serving and assisting families during their time of bereavement. She was a beautiful hostess, an exceptional cook, and known for her famous “Sweet Potato Pies”.

Hester LOVED her family and friends. She was a loving mother to her step-daughter, a beautiful sister to her siblings, a loving grandmother, an awesome aunt to her nieces and nephews,­­­­ and just loved to be around family and friends. She will be genuinely missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by parents, Lemmie and Myrtie (Harden) Taylor; husband, Marcell Strickland; step-daughter, Cheryl Stafford; brothers, Leonard Taylor, Henry “Bubba” Taylor, Sr., Winford W. Taylor, Gerald E. “Jewel” Taylor, Edward Taylor; sisters, Lousie Tuttle and Mary Bybee.

Left to cherish her memory, sister, Essie McKinney of Russellville Kentucky; two grandchildren, nieces, Helen Sanders and Carolyn Sherfield; nephews, Henry Clay Taylor, Jr., Henry D. Taylor, David (Vanetta) Taylor, Dwight (Barbara Ann) McKinney, Herb (Regina) McKinney, and Clarence (Charlene) Spencer; and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.