Mary Ellen West 1917 - 2003

WEST SMITH DAVIES

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/19/2014 at 22:48:41

Onawa Sentinel
18 December 2003

Mrs. Dave (Mary Ellen) West, 86, of Sidney, IA died Monday, December 8, 2003 at the Sidney Health Care Center in Sidney, IA following an extended illness. Mary Ellen was born August 22, 1917 at the family farmstead north of Castana, IA to Benjamin George Davies and Inez (Smith) Davies. She graduated from the Castana Community Schools and taught school for several years before she earned a degree in home economics from Iowa State University. Mary Ellen taught home economics in several schools before she was a home economist for the Illinois Extension Services in Kankakee, IL.

She married David M. West in Troy, KS, on December 5, 1946. The couple made their home first in Iowa City, IA, and then taught and worked on newspapers in Grand Rapids, MI, Luverne, MN, Honolulu, HA, Manteo and Cape Hatteress, NC, and Audubon, IA, before moving to Sidney, IA, in December of 1953 where they lived the rest of their lives publishing The Sidney Argus-Herald and rearing their family. Mary Ellen was a longtime choir director and member of the Sidney Presbyterian Church, the Research Club and the Sidney American Legion Auxiliary Unit #128.

Mrs. West was, preceded in death by her husband on January 19, 1996; her parents; her brother and sister-in-law, Evan and Honsen Davies; and her brother Benjamin and sister Anne in childhood.

She is survived by, her daughters and husbands, Inez and Jim Killam of Osage Beach, MO, and Ellen and Robert Longman of Shenandoah, IA; her son, Morgan West of Iowa City, IA; and three grandchildren, Nate and Jamie Killam and Molly Longman. She is, also survive by niece, Cathy Greigg of Bethesda, MD and cousins, Wilson Gingles and Louise Falk of Onawa, IA and Don Gingles of Washington, D.C.

Private family interment of ashes will be held at a later date at Kennebec Cemetery, in Monona County, IA. There will be no viewing or visitation. Memorials will go to the Christian Community Emergency Fund, c/o Rev. Faye Fedlam, PO Box 749, Sidney, IA or Sidney Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad. The Crawford-Marshall Funeral Chapel in Sidney was in charge of arrangement.