Benjamin “Ben” Taylor, age 79, of Maxwell, Nebraska went to be with his heavenly Father on May 19, 2026. Ben was born November 22, 1946 in Brooklyn, NY, to Benjamin and Florence (Phillips) Taylor. There he grew up, accepting Jesus into his heart at an early age. After graduating from high school, Ben attended Brooklyn College before entering the workforce.

Ben and a good friend then started their own business, “Cheyenne Ceiling Corp”, where they made a name for themselves for their honest and high-quality work. During this time Ben was joined in marriage to the love of his life, Olga Walker, on December 12, 1967.

As Ben rode horses bare back on the beaches of Brooklyn, N.Y., he dreamt of going west to the open prairies and big sky country where he could maybe start a ranch of his own. So, in June of 1971, the venturous couple picked up and moved to Gothenburg, NE working for LaVern Oberg on his farm. Ben went on to dabble in a variety of business ventures, such as hogs, dairy calves (trailered in from Wisconsin), and then expanding into sales of farm equipment and also several lines of indestructible furniture. He was a top salesman and won many awards!

In early 1988 Ben and Olga welcomed twins, John Allen and Jessica Joyce. What joy they brought to this busy couple! Finally in 1995, Ben’s long dream for ranching came to fruition when they bought land and built their home in Maxwell, NE, and invested in a small herd of cows. With the help of their two growing children, they put in long days of hard work building up a nice size herd of Gelbvieh cattle. In their spare time they made a point of taking a family vacation every year, traveling to many national parks in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. These memorable times were affordable by mixing camping with motels (John and Jess much preferred the motels).

By the end of 2025, due to many health concerns, Ben sold the remainder of his herd. He will be remembered for his love of horses, cattle, western way of life, family, friends and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a man of great faith desiring to share the “Good News of Salvation”.

Those left to cherish Ben’s memory are his wife, Olga; children John (Jessica) Taylor, of Marquette, NE, Jessica (Will) Schultz of North Platte, NE; siblings John (Linda) Taylor and Elizabeth (Bob) Howell of Chelmsford, MA, and Ellen Taylor-Kennedy of North Platte, NE; grandchildren Xaviar, Xandar, Aria, Koda, Onni and Caius; and many more nieces and nephews.

Ben is preceded in death by his parents Benjamin and Florence Taylor and brother-in-law Kevin P. Kennedy, Jr.

A funeral service will be held Friday, May 29, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Maxwell, NE., with Pastor Kurt England officiating. Burial will follow at Plainview Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday, May 28th from 12:00 to 7:00, with family being present from 5:00 to 7:00 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which has been entrusted with the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made the First Baptist Church in Maxwell, NE., or the Nebraska Children’s Home. Online condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared at carpentermemorial.com.