Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Cecil Mae Taylor was born to Purlla “Pearl” and Judge Taylor on June 19, 1920 in Farmerville, Louisiana and departed this life on June 7th, 2022, just twelve days shy of her 102nd birthday.
Cecil was the eldest of three children which included her two younger siblings, Ernest and Clara. They all grew up in El Dorado, Arkansas. She met Joe Frazier in her early teen years through her family. They married on November 16th, 1935 in Milner, Arkansas. She birthed her first child Gloria Jean in 1942 and would move to what was known as Vanport, Oregon. After the Vanport flood, Cecil and her husband moved to Giles Lake and later to Fessenden Homes with Gloria, their son John, and daughter, Doris.
They purchased a home on 37 N Morris across from Dawson Park after their fourth child, Barbara, was born. Cecil enjoyed spending time with her family, cooking, baking, and canning. She would eventually send for her mother, Pearl, who lived with her and her family for some time. In the coming years, a daughter, Shirley, and a son, Donald, would complete the Frazier family home.
In the late 50s Cecil started doing “day work” to keep up with her love of shopping. She loved to dress in the finest threads including mink furs, high heels, and hats. She loved catching up on the soaps while housekeeping. She also loved to exercise which she did well into her elder years.
She spent lots of time with her faith community at Vancouver Avenue and New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and sang in the choir. She eventually joined Mt. Sinai Baptist Church where her youngest son, Donald Frazier Sr, became the Senior pastor and she affectionately known as Mama Frazier.
Cecil loved sitting on the porch on NE 11th watching many of her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews enjoy the neighborhood. As the evenings set in, she and her friends hosted many gatherings in the basement where they enjoyed a libation or two and the latest music. A bonafide socialite, she and her sister, Clara, were also a part of the Modern Matrons social club.
Cecil was known for her homemade biscuits (which her granddaughters are still trying to master) and her pineapple coconut cake. Since the 1970s, Cecil’s favorite pastime was watching local wrestling matches. She later came to love WWE and watched it faithfully. She knew the entire weekly schedule. She loved John Cena mimicking his sayings in her own way of course. ‘You want some of this? come and get it!’ ’Known for her sense of humor, and infectious laughter, her steadfast love for her family kept her living a long and vibrant life. Her descendants are many and she was a very proud matriarch of 4 living generations here in Portland who continue to preserve the Taylor-Frazier bond.
We are privileged to have witnessed and benefited from her faith, humor, and strength. Her family will continue to honor the legacy she has established for many here in Oregon and beyond.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Judge and Pearl Taylor; brother, Ernest Taylor; sister, Clara Monroe; daughters, Doris Mitchell, Barbara Frazier, and Shirley Frazier; and her son, John Frazier Sr.
She leaves to mourn and celebrate her life, two children, Gloria Lavender and Donald Frazier Sr; as well as a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends and loved ones
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cecil Mae Frazier, please visit our floral store.