Leora
West
Leora West, 68, of Grand Island, died Saturday, October 08, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center with her family by her side.
To honor her wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service
will be at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday in All Faiths Funeral Home Chapel. The
Reverend Gary Schulte will officiate. There is no visitation.
Leora was born April 22, 1943, at Vance, Alabama, the daughter of Nelson and Mary (Mathews) Murphy.
Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 52 years, Bobby West; son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Christine West of Waterloo, NE; daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Mitch VanSlyke of Pacific Junction, IA; brothers, Wilbur Mathews, Bennie Mathews and Robert Murphy, all of Alabama.
She is also survived by three grandchildren, Ross VanSlyke, Andrew VanSlyke and Jasmine West and many extended family and friends throughout the country.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers and three sisters.
Leora grew up and received her education in Woodstock and West Blocton, Alabama, graduating from West Blocton High School.
She was united in marriage to Bobby West on December 31, 1958 at West Blocton. Bobby’s Navy career took them many places and they settled in Grand Island in 1990.
A member of several churches over the years, Leora also was a Sunday School teacher in many places. At Temple Baptist in Lincoln, NE, she served as librarian. Leora has regularly attended Evangelical Free Church for the past 19 years.
Leora maintained beautiful flowers, loved to read and kept herself up to date on current events. She and Bobby made annual trips to Branson to share their love of Southern gospel music. Above all, Leora truly loved her husband, her children and her grandchildren.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society.