Congratulations to Stephanie Taylor of Cambridge for being named the “Irish Mother of the Year” by the St. Patrick Society of the Quad Cities for its Grand Parade XXXVIII. A nominee for the “Irish Mother of the Year” should be “involved in family, church, and community; have a good sense of humor and demonstrate pride in her Irish ancestry,” according to the St. Patrick Society of the Quad Cities.
Stephanie attended elementary school at St. Malachy Parish in Geneseo and graduated from Geneseo High School. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater from Dominican University and graduated from the Institute of Therapeutic Massage. Stephanie teaches a class in Irish dance in Bishop Hill and dances with the Champagne Academy of Irish Dance, which she began in childhood. Now, her three children (Miles, Anderson, and Colette) dance as well. Her children also play the Irish fiddle and tin whistle; her oldest child is beginning to learn the uilleann pipes, which is characterized as the national bagpipe of Ireland. Stephanie serves as a board member for the Bishop Hill Heritage Association, runs the Cambridge Youth Soccer League, and hosts concerts with her husband, John Taylor. Stephanie Taylor is a licensed massage therapist and has owned and operated Hand Taylored Massage since 2010.
The Grand Parade is the nation’s only bi-state St. Patrick’s Grand Parade. The parade starts at 11:30 AM on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the corner of 4th Avenue and 23rd Street in Rock Island, and goes through downtown Rock Island and across the Mississippi River into downtown Davenport. A post-parade gathering will take place at the RiverCenter from 1 to 4 PM.
