Elizabeth Price West

Elizabeth Marie (Price) West was born October 1, 1917 in Pisgah, Iowa, the daughter of Joseph Curtis and Dora (Kline) Price. As an infant the family moved to a small farm, inherited by her mother, near Dow City. She attended grade school in Dow City, Dunlap, a country school and four years of high school at Dunlap, Iowa, graduating at age seventeen. Elizabeth had an interesting career in the secretarial/business field. During World War II she worked for the HC Spark Plug Division of General Motors in the Audit Dept. as factory Payroll Clerk and later as secretary to the Director of the Audit Department. Later she moved back to Iowa near her mother. She worked in Omaha for the 1st Corp of Engineers and the Federal Tax Office. During this time she continued her education at the Omaha Junior College, (now University of Nebraska). She studied English, German, economics and her chief hobby of drawing. She admired the fine drawings or etchings in the Family Bible and tried to copy them. She married Whitley W. West. They made their home in Michigan enjoying a happy marriage. They enjoyed traveling together, two trips to Europe and spending February?s in Mexico City and Acapulco. After Whitley semi-retired from his small factory they moved to Boca Raton, Florida. He passed away in December of 1984. Later in life she began to enjoy oil painting, encouraged by her husband. She always felt she was more of an art appreciator than an artist herself but enjoyed trying. She took art lessons at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha and she created many lovely paintings that are enjoyed by friends and family. Elizabeth remained in Florida until 1992, when she moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa, where she lived for two years before moving to Denison to be near her sister Emmaline and sister, Doris, of Elk Horn, Iowa. In spite of many frailties of health, Elizabeth remained active, driving her old Lincoln Town car and living in her own home until October of 2007. At that time she entered Eventide Lutheran Home in Denison where she lived until her death. She always enjoyed visiting with nieces and nephews, proud of them all. Elizabeth died Wednesday, June 11, 2008, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa at the age of 90 years. Preceding Elizabeth in death were her husband, parents, a brother Paul and three sisters, Emmaline, Lillian and Doris. She is survived by numerous nephews, nieces, friends and neighbors. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at Denison Baptist Church in Denison, Iowa with the Rev. David J. Sohl officiating. Music for the service included two congregational hymns, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" with Mary Jane Petersen serving as organist. Pallbearers were Roland Talcott, Wilbur Petersen, Lonny Kolln II and Keith Peterson. Interment was at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Dunlap, Iowa. Following the funeral service the family invited all in attendance to join them in the church fellowship hall for a luncheon prepared by the Denison Baptist Fellowship Club. The Pfannebecker Funeral Home, www.pfannebecker.com , in Denison, Iowa, was in charge of arrangements.