Honoring the Life and Legacy of Lucy Argusta Taylor
In Loving Memory of Lucy Argusta Taylor
Joy – February 16, 1935
Her Victory – January 24, 2020
Lucy Argusta Taylor entered this life on February 16, 1935. She was born at home on her parents’ farm in rural Turkey, North Carolina. The second oldest of ten children, she was raised by the late Reverend George Atkins Boomer and Lucy Jane Boomer, who modeled faith, love, and service in their daily lives.
As a young adult, Lucy married Allen P. Taylor in 1953 and moved to Washington, D.C., where she pursued a career in cosmetology, graduating from the Poteat Beauty Academy as a Licensed Cosmetologist. In 1955, she joined Mount Sinai Baptist Church, where she became a devoted member of Guild Number Two.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Lucy and her husband extended their home to family members migrating from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. during the Great Migration. Their home became a sanctuary for loved ones seeking better opportunities, a reflection of Lucy’s warm and giving spirit.
In the 1970s, she returned to education at the Armstrong Adult Education Center and completed a dental assistant internship at D.C. General Hospital. Later, she also provided in-home childcare, demonstrating her lifelong love for children and service to others.
Faith and family were central to her life. A devoted mother of six, she raised her children in the church, each one baptized at Mt. Sinai, and instilled in them a strong belief in education. All six children went on to attend college, most earning advanced degrees—a testament to her guidance and encouragement.
Lucy was a faithful member of Mount Sinai Baptist Church for 65 years. She served on the Nurse’s Unit for over four decades, sang in the Senior Choir, and was active in the Missionary Ministry, offering compassion and counsel to those battling substance abuse. She lived humbly, serving the Lord and encouraging others to grow in their faith.
She loved sewing and was known for designing elegant outfits complete with beautifully crafted hats for Sunday service. Her creativity extended to music, where she joyfully played piano, guitar, harmonica, and tambourine—anything to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
Ma also had a passion for gardening, a gift she inherited from her parents. Her green thumb brought beauty and nourishment to all she touched, and she generously shared this talent with friends and family alike.
It is not the date of her birth that mattered most, nor the day of her passing, but the dash in the middle—nearly 85 years that told a powerful story of grace, strength, and unwavering love.
That dash—from February 16, 1935, to January 24, 2020—tells the story of a life beautifully lived. A life marked by giving, by faith, by sacrifice, and by an enduring legacy of compassion and kindness.
Lucy touched countless lives with her wisdom, joy, and open heart. She was the country girl who became our mother, our rock, our example of what it means to love unconditionally. She lived by the standards that mattered most—and what possessed her, above all, was a deep and abiding love for God and her family.
Though she is no longer with us physically, her warm and caring spirit abides with us… always. We know she has claimed her eternal reward, rejoicing in the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As Psalm 30:5 reminds us:
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” We thank God for blessing us with her. She was our gift.