Nila West (2004)

WEST, WALTER, THOMPSON, STEWART, WELLS, GREENE, MURPHY

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/28/2020 at 12:51:34

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
February 4, 2004
Page 5A, Column 1

Nila M. West was born the daughter of Charley and Dora Walter Thompson on the family farm near Moulton, Iowa on March 21, 1912 and died at the Winterset Care Center in Winterset, Iowa on January 23, 2004 at the age of 91 years, 10 months and 2 days.

Nila attended school in Brooklyn, Iowa. Nila and Paul A. Stewart were married and blessed with four children: an infant who died at childbirth, James, Eugene and Betty. Paul and Nila farmed until 1938 and were divorced in 1941. Nila and family moved to Wichita, Kansas for 5 years where she met Chester West. Nila and Chester were married on February 3, 1947 in Winterset, Iowa. Nila and Chester owned and operated the West End Cafe in Dexter for many years. They moved to Des Moines and Nila worked for Look Magazine. After Chester's death Nila moved back to Dexter where she worked at Drew's Chocolates until her retirement. Nila moved to the Earlham Care Center in 1997 and then to the Winterset Care Center until her death.

Nila loved to fish. She traveled locally to many favorite fishing spots, however her most memorable fishing expedition was a deep sea fishing trip on the west coast during a visit to her son Eugene. She was an excellent seamstress. She loved to make clothing and quilts. She loved to garden and to can her garden bounty. She was well known for her homemade noodles. She loved spending time with family and often babysat with the grandkids.

Nila leaves the following family to celebrate her life: son Eugene Stewart and wife Sandra of San Juan Island, WA; daughter Betty Lou Wells of Earlham, IA; brother Gaylord Thompson and wife Darlene of Dexter, IA; sister Patricia Greene of Post Falls, ID; 7 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 4 great great-grandchildren.

Nila was preceded in death by: her parents, her husbands Paul Stewart and Chester West; an infant at childbirth; son James L. Stewart; 6 brothers Kenneth, Verle, Charles, Lyle, Gale, and Leon; sister Maxell Murphy; grandsons Dicky, Greg and Jimmy Stewart Jr.