Elaine Elcena (Bergstrom) West was born on December 31, 1928 to Arthur John and Elcena Belle (Mason) Bergstrom in a small four room farmhouse in rural Cuba, Kansas where she grew up with nine brothers and sisters. After receiving only eight years of education in the country school that they walked to, in good weather and bad, Elaine was unable to go on to high school as she needed to remain at home to care for her ailing mother and two younger siblings. After two years her mother passed away. Although she did not have a high school education, Elaine became a very knowledgeable woman on many subjects throughout her life.
When her two younger siblings were older Elaine was able to leave home and eventually worked in a nursing home in Concordia, Kansas, where she also met and married the love of her life, Jay Alfred West on September 21, 1952. They always chuckled about meeting in a nursing home. Soon after their marriage they moved to Troy, Kansas where their four children were born and an additional little girl became part of their lives. In 1968, the family moved to Glenwood, Iowa.
Before working in the nursing home in Concordia, Kansas, Elaine worked in a mailroom in Rockford, Illinois. She also worked as a teacher’s aide in Troy, Kansas and as a Resident Treatment Worker at the Glenwood State Hospital School. After retirement, she provided child care for her grandchildren and other children. She also volunteered for many years at the Mills County Store House.
Elaine was always very active in many ways at her Troy and Glenwood Methodist churches and eventually at the Glenwood Community Church until her health began to decline. She was always ready to organize and help cook big church dinners, teach Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, make costumes for Sunday School Christmas programs, and bake dozens of cookies for church bazaars. In her later years, she loved to collect clothes and make cookies for an Indian missionary project called Lakota Journey.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jay; brothers, Ronald, Sylvester, Arthur, Edward, Carl, two infant brothers, Wendell and Milton; sisters, Nadine Bryant and Twila Schulz and grandson, Justin Pavelka.
Survivors include her four daughters, Deborah and husband Brent Clark of Glenwood, Iowa; Deirdre and husband Carl Pate of Springfield, Missouri; Dawn West of Danville, California and Kathy and husband John Simmons of Glenwood, Iowa; son, Jeff West of Malvern, Iowa; 10 grandchildren, Alison Porter, James Clark, Megan Becker, Jackson and Maggie Doyle, Brenda Pavelka, Connor Kennedy, Jesse and Josh Pedersen and Daniel Simmons; 8 great-grandchildren, Preston and Logen Clark, Aleigha and Brody Porter, Ryan and Katelyn Christensen and Nolan and Ansley Becker; brother, LaVern Bergstrom of Berryton, Kansas; sister, Joyce and husband Harold Dowell of Cuba, Kansas; many nieces, nephews, extended relatives and friends.
Interment will be held in the Glenwood Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed to the Glenwood Community Church (Lakota Journey) or Tabor Manor.
Visitation:Monday, June 12, 2017
5:00 PM
212 S. Locust St.
Glenwood, IA51534
Service:Tuesday, June 13, 2017
10:30 AM
56646 240th St.
Glenwood, IA51534
3 Condolences
Dearest Family, Prayers are with you all. I will try hard to be there for the services. Love Reena
Our prayers are with all of the family, we know that you will miss Elaine. She was such a sweet person. Love, Virginia and Carl
We are praying for you all during this difficult time. I’m so glad we were able to visit Elaine and Deb and family with mom before mom passed away. I will always treasure that trip! I am also forever grateful to Elaine for introducing my parents! I’m not sure you all know that She was the reason mom and dad fell in love. Dad was taking them to the movies to drop them off, but he said when he saw mom she was the prettiest thing he had ever laid eyes on and had to join them at the movies then…. LOL love at first sight. Just want to say I love you all and wish I could be there. Janice
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