Memorials may be made to the Glenwood Community Church (Tractor Fund).
INTERMENT: Glenwood Cemetery, Glenwood, Iowa
Jay was born September 26, 1923 into the God loving and serving family of John and Minnie West. Times were hard for the family of nine brothers and sisters growing up on a wheat farm near Nekoma in western Kansas during the Depression and war years. But with a strong faith and with God at their side, who could have asked for more.
Jay had a long full life filled with many wonderful memories. He attended elementary school in Nekoma, KS, and later graduated from high school in LaCross, KS. After school work and chores were done, Jay and his brothers and sisters would create homespun activities such as football. But their football was made from an old gunny sack rolled up tight and tied. A favorite activity of family reunions was horseshoes which Jay loved to play. He was also a great softball player. He and his brothers and a cousin once had a winning intramural team in college. He continued to play softball after he was married. His wife, Elaine, and their young children, Deborah and Jeff, would sit on the sidelines watching their Dad play softball at Highland, Kansas and other places.
The little Methodist Church in Nekoma, Kansas was the center of family life for Jay as a child growing into a young adult. Polishing and repairing shoes, and laying out their best clothes in preparation for Sunday services were regular Saturday night rituals. Everyone faced inspection before heading out to church on Sunday morning. As the kids got older, washing and polishing the car on Saturday was an added chore.
After high school, Jay attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS for two years before enlisting in the Navy. He was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia for 23 months during World War II, serving as a radarman. After the war he returned to Kansas State to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture.
With the return of men and women from the war, jobs were scarce and not easy to come by. Jay taught a Veterans Farm Training Class for some time in Westmoreland, KS and later accepted a position at Concordia, KS working for the National Farm Loan Association. This was a short stay but very eventful as Jay met his future bride, Elaine Bergstrom, who was working in a Concordia nursing home. They would be married in September of 1952. Leaving Concordia in March of 1952, Jay had accepted a position with Kansas State University as County Agricultural Agent for Doniphan County and moved to the small, northeast Kansas town of Troy.
During his tenure as County Agent, Jay, along with other members of the community, was instrumental in getting the county 4-H fairgrounds built and established in Troy. In 1962, Jay took a sabbatical leave for one year going to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado to complete his Master’s degree in Agriculture. By this time he and Elaine had four children, Deborah, Jeff, Deirdre, and Dawn. After receiving his degree he returned to Troy, Kansas and continued working as the Doniphan County Agent for six more years.
In 1968, Jay accepted a position with the Iowa State Extension Service out of Ames, Iowa in a newly formed program as a Crop Production Specialist in their Council Bluffs area office. Serving farmers in 10 counties in southwest Iowa, he held this job until 1980 when he took his first retirement. Jay then started his own business called Crop Pro Man and continued to serve farmers in this corner of the state for approximately eight years. His age and health determined closing this business after several years. Being out in large fields many miles from people and getting stuck with his four-wheeler a few times finally led him to concede that it was time to slow up.
Following his second retirement Jay then served as Business Manager for his daughter, Deirdre’s business here in Glenwood for a couple of years. He finally retired a third time to his home, garden, and yard. Jay was also active in Kiwanis clubs in both Kansas and Glenwood, Iowa for 46 years with 30 of those years in the Glenwood club. He received a plaque for serving eight years as Secretary Treasurer. He also served as President and chaired many projects, serving faithfully those many years.
Jay remained active in the Methodist Church most of his adult life serving in many capacities: Administrative Board Chairman, Sunday School teacher, lay speaker, choir member, and chairman for many special projects in both the Troy, Kansas and Glenwood, Iowa churches. As he and his family lived just across the street from the church in Troy, their living room was the high school Sunday School classroom for a number of years. When a lay witness mission event came to the Methodist Church in Glenwood, Iowa when Jay was in his 40’s, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at that time.
Jay and Elaine later joined the Glenwood Evangelical Free Church and were very active. Leaving the church for short time they again reunited with their former Evangelical Free Church. With Jay’s health failing, he and Elaine had not been able to serve as they once did but their prayers have always been with the work of the people serving God and His church.
After a long and brave battle with Parkinson’s Disease, God called Jay home on October 15, 2006. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Minnie West; two sisters, Alice and Bernice; and a brother, Lloyd.
Jay is survived by his wife of 54 years, Elaine of Glenwood, IA; three daughters, Deborah Clark and husband, Brent of Glenwood, IA, Deirdre West and friend Jim Bowman of Council Bluffs, IA, and Dawn West of Danville, CA; one son Jeff West of Glenwood, IA; “special adopted daughter”, Kathy Simmons and husband, John of Glenwood, IA, and children Jesse, Josh, and Daniel; eight grandchildren, Alison, James and Megan Clark, Justin and Brenda Pavelka, and Connor Kennedy; and two great-grandchildren, Preston and Logen Clark. Jay is also survived by three brothers, Glenn West and wife, Alice Mae of Tulsa, OK, Alvin West and wife, Sarah of Slidell, LA, and Wilbur West of Chino, CA; and two sisters, Nancy Grimes and husband, Charles of Decatur, OH, and Karen Warren and husband, Sam of Mt. Airy, MD. He is survived by many nieces and nephews.
Family life was important to Jay. He always enjoyed having the kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren over once a week for a family meal and never tired of giving his grandkids tractor or Honda rides! Jay will be sorely missed by family and friends but we will always cherish the time we had with him and the many wonderful memories he gave us.
Visitation:Tuesday, October 17, 2006
6:00 PM
212 South Locust
Glenwood, IA51534
Service:Wednesday, October 18, 2006
10:30 AM
56646 240th St.
Glenwood, IA52534
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