Ernestine Taylor

                Ernestine “Imma” Taylor

             April 30, 1946 – April 9, 2026

Ernestine Taylor — known and loved as Imma, Mamalah, Gma, and Stine — passed away on April 9, 2026, just three weeks before what would have been her 80th birthday. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Covert, Michigan, she made her life in Atlanta, Georgia before spending her final years in Raleigh, North Carolina, surrounded by the family she adored.
Ernestine was, in the truest sense, a force of nature. Joyful and mischievous, wild as the wind, she had a gift for making life feel bigger and brighter for everyone around her. Those who loved her knew that being in her company meant anything could happen — and it was probably going to be fun.

Case in point: when a tornado warning sent most people scrambling for cover, Ernestine had other priorities. She convinced her daughter DaVette to take her out for BBQ ribs — and when the storm arrived, the two of them rode it out together inside the restaurant, laughing through the wind. That was Ernestine. Life was short, and the ribs were good.
Her faith was the foundation of everything. Ernestine loved the Lord deeply and expressed that love through song, lending her voice to the church choir over the years. Her faith carried her through life’s hardest seasons and radiated outward to all who knew her.

She devoted thirty years to public service as a corrections officer, retiring from the City of Atlanta with a spotless record — a testament to her integrity, her strength, and her deep sense of duty. In retirement, she turned her considerable energy toward her creative passions: mixed media art, painting, knitting, and calligraphy. Her hands were rarely still, and her art was an extension of the beauty she saw in the world.

Through every season of life, Ernestine was held close by a circle of remarkable women. Her lifelong friends Eula Robinson, Beverly Baker, and Faith Hicks walked alongside her through the joys and sorrows that shape a life — the kind of friendships that only deepen with time.
Ernestine was preceded in death by her mother, Adell Owens. She is survived by her daughter, DaVette Taylor-Harris; son-in-law, Antonio Harris; and granddaughter, Elizabeth Harris — the lights of her life. She also leaves behind her sisters, Shirley Jones and Gayle Stone; her lifelong friend, David Taylor; beloved friends Eula Robinson, Beverly Baker, and Faith Hicks; and a cherished circle of nieces and nephews who will carry her spirit forward.

Final arrangements are slated for Saturday, April 25, 2026 beginning with an 11 AM Visitation and 11:30 AM at Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church located at 100 S. Judd Parkway, Fuquay-Varina, 27526.