Bernetta Owens-Taylor

Bernetta Owens-Taylor was born to Ralph & Arvella (Jones) Owens on October 8, 1955 in Magnolia, Arkansas. She was 5th in the order of her mother’s children. She was a tomboy and loved to play in the fields and climb trees with her cousins. Bernetta often reminisced about eating muscadines from the vines as a child while hanging out with her cousins in Arkansas’ backwoods. At a very young age, Bernetta was baptized in the pond at St. Matthew Baptist Church in McNeil, Arkansas.  At the age of 9, Bernetta and her siblings moved to Kansas City, MO.

Upon arriving in Kansas City, Bernetta attended Lincoln Middle School and Paseo High School. After high school, Bernetta met Robert Taylor in 1975 and from that union she had 3 children, Rochelle, Rachel and Richard. Bernetta worked many years in customer service at Dillard’s and in the healthcare industry.

Bernetta was affectionally known as “Netta” or “Brenny” and had many interests that included bowling, gardening and thrift store shopping. Bernetta bowled in a league for several years. She dedicated much of time being a mother and gracious host to family and friends. She would often host parties at her home on the holidays and special occasions, doing all of the cooking. She was well known for her banana pudding, that garnered many requests from the family. Bernetta was full of light and was very loved. She loved to laugh, joke and dance. She always found a beat to move to, even if it was a beat she made up. Her smile and laughter were so inviting.

Bernetta took pride in her children and grandchildren and always made herself available to them. She kept her children in line with her weekly “I work hard speech” to remind them of what she afforded them in this life. She made sure she imparted her values into her children by providing constant guidance even into her children’s adulthood.

Bernetta was brave and strong and fought the things that she believed. She always thought of her family and made sure that she did what was needed to give her children a better quality of life.

Bernetta walked into heaven on Wednesday, September 15th. She is preceded in death by her mother, Arvella Jones-Owens; her father, Ralph Owens; her sister, Ruth Jones; her brother, Rickey Owens; her nephew, Rickey Rayford and her trusty fur-baby, Rufus R. Jones.

Bernetta will be lovingly missed by her husband of 35 years, Robert Taylor, her children, Rochelle Owens-Jackson (Ryan), Rachel Owens and Richard Taylor (Tonya). Her grandchildren, Kellan, An’Jolise, RaMaya, Rihana, Owen, Aiden, Jacob, Ryan Jr., Hailey, Justin and her fur-grandbaby Rosie LaLaLa Jackson.