Former County Legislator, Community Leader Lula Taylor Passes Away

Lula Taylor (right) with husband Vivian. (Image from Chautauqua Region Community Foundation – CRCFOnline.org)

JAMESTOWN – A trailblazer in local politics and community service has passed away.

The family of former African-American Chautauqua County legislator Lula Taylor, 89 of Jamestown, is announcing her passing.

According to Taylor’s grandson – former Jamestown councilman Michael Taylor who now lives in the Philadelphia area – Lula Taylor lived through the depression, the Jim Crowe south, stood next to Civil War veterans as a young child, and met with future presidents, first ladies, governors, and senators.

In politics, Taylor became the first black woman to hold a county legislature seat in New York State when she was elected to the Chautauqua County Legislature, where she served for 14 years.

In addition to serving the people, she has also worked for improvement of the community through the following organizations: Chautauqua County Board of Health; Chautauqua County Health Network Advisory Board; Office for the Aging Advisory Board; Falconer Rotary; and she sponsored the first public AIDS awareness forum in Chautauqua County in 1996. In recognition for her community service, Lula was awarded the DeWitt Clinton Award in 2003 with her husband and was named a YWCA Woman of Achievement for her work through government in 2005.

Taylor is survived by her Husband Vivian Taylor, who is also a former elected official, having served on the Jamestown City Council. Together, they are co-founders of the Chautauqua County Black History Committee; co-chairs of the Jamestown Interracial Forum; attend the Blackwell Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, with Lula Taylor serving as Youth Director of the Youth Fellowship; served as members of Reachout Ministries; the Underground Railroad Tableau Project Steering Committee; and were involved in Euclid and Washington School PTA.

In 2007, Lula and Vivian were the co-recipients of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation’s John D. Hamilton Community Service Award.

Funeral arrangements for Taylor will be announced by the Lind Funeral Home.