Spencer, IA — College professor, state senator, and Spencer native Jeff Taylor is sharing the story of a near-death experience that shaped his life in a new memoir.
A Beautiful Day to Die chronicles how the Dordt University professor nearly succumbed to encephalitis, a rare complication of mumps, as a four-year-old child in 1965.
Rather than simply accepting the story he had heard from family members throughout his life, Taylor interviewed witnesses and reviewed medical records to confirm if they event happened that way.
Taylor says the experience has played a major role in shaping both his faith and his outlook on life.
A Beautiful Day to Die is available through online booksellers, and Taylor says efforts are underway to make the book available through libraries, including the Spencer Public Library.
