Posted on January 7, 2015
We have been touched by asbestos in individual ways, yet we are joined together by a bond of community. As a testament to the strength of our global family, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is highlighting the courageous stories of our members with the “Share Your Story” feature on our website.
This week, we would like to honor the story of Glenn, as shared by his granddaughter Shelly, who is a part of our ADAO family.
We encourage you to submit your personal stories by clicking here and following the simple instructions on the page. In sharing, comes healing. Remember, you are not alone.
“Asbestos Has Robbed Us” – Glenn’s Story
Name: Glenn
State: Montana
Date of Birth: AUG 1903
Date of Diagnosis: JAN 1959
Diagnosis: Asbestosis
Date of Death: SEP 1961
How has asbestos changed your life? (unedited)
In Andrew Schneider’s November 18, 1999 article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, he writes that Glenn Taylor was the first Zonolite miner to be diagnosed with asbestosis. After working for Zonolite for 19 years, and being mistakenly diagnosed with TB, in February of 1959, doctors at the state tuberculosis hospital realized they were wrong. Glenn Taylor, my grandfather, was suffering from asbestosis. He lost his battle with asbestosis in 1961, a month after turning 58 years old. That day was his youngest daughter’s 9th birthday. My grandmother, Gladys Taylor, was left to raise the children that remained at home while mourning his loss.
Much like many others who have made their lives in Libby, asbestos has robbed us. In some cases it is quality of life, leaving many to spend the rest of their days in the company of oxygen tanks and inhalers. Others simply die. Except it’s not simple, or fast, or pretty. It’s slow and excruciating.
Asbestos has left me with an eerie sense of disbelief and sadness. Libby is my family’s home and has been such a part of who I am throughout my entire life. I am a proud Libby Logger, a logger’s daughter, and the granddaughter of a man I never had the privilege to meet. I do know him though, through the stories my aunt tells, the laughter of my dad, and the sheer orneriness of all the Taylor kids. We are a proud bunch and proud is exactly what I believe my Grandpa Glenn would be today if only he could have lived to know us.
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