A Special Holiday Delivery in North Ogden to Honor Army Major Brent Taylor

WEBER COUNTY, Utah – Weber County community members made a special holiday delivery to honor a hero.

Not one, but two Christmas trees were dropped off at two special places Saturday in Major Brent Taylor’s memory.

The North Ogden mayor was killed in Afghanistan.

The trees were created as part of the Christmas Tree Jubilee in Ogden, an annual event to raise money for the Weber School Foundation.

Christmas trees are decorated and sold to raise money for kids with special needs in the county, but this year’s event was much more than a fundraiser.

“I think people walked in and saw it and were really appreciative,” said Weber School Foundation Executive Director Emily Oyler about one of the two trees decorated in Maj. Taylor’s honor. “It really helped everybody remember what we’re here for and that’s to serve other people.”

“It just feels like a family–our PTA family, our school family, my kid’s friends too we know that they’re with us and they’re aware of us and they’re mourning with us,” said Maj. Taylor’s widow Jennie Taylor, who is on the Orion Junior High School PTA.

Her fellow members surprised her by decorating one of those trees to memorialize her husband.

The other was created by a mom in the district.

“I have a chance to work frequently with mayors, policy mayors, legislators, and there’s nobody that I had greater admiration, respect for than Brent Taylor,” said Weber School District Superintendent Jeff Stephens, who helped deliver the trees.

“It just seems so fitting especially for this first Christmas to have him near, to have him with us, to have him part of our home. I treasure those pictures we have of him with each of our children. They’ll keep those forever,” said Taylor.

While one tree didn’t fit in their house, the Taylor family found the perfect spot for it, the public works building which held a special place in Major Taylor’s heart.

“He loved the snow plows. You better believe at 3AM he’s up with them. We want the snow plow teams to know that we love them and know that Brent loves them and maybe when they get in a truck at 3 in the morning they’ll feel like he’s right there with them with his bright orange construction vest,” said Taylor.

There’s no question, this Christmas won’t be the same for his wife and seven kids.

“Half of the holidays he’s been gone on some assignment, the thought that overwhelms me is the fact that there’s 50 years ahead that he’ll still be gone,” said Taylor.

But now each year when his family and the city decorate for Christmas, they will forever have a reminder of Major Brent Taylor.

“Hopefully now we represent something larger than us. That patriotic nerve has been awakened in a lot of people and I hope it stays awakened and alive and it kindles something that we can do together as a community to  bring about some good even in the midst of a shocking tragedy,” said Taylor.