Merle Ann West

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Merle Ann West, 75, of Victoria, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2015. Merle was born Nov. 8, 1939 in Gonzales County to Willie Gloor and Thelma Bauer Gloor. She married Don Allen “D.A.” West on April 26, 1964 in the First English Lutheran Church in Victoria. She was a life long time member of the First English Lutheran Church.

Merle grew up about a mile west of Cost on the family farm. The family grew maize and raised cattle, sheep and hogs before transitioning to raise chickens. She grew up all too familiar with the hard work tending to the chores associated with farming. At a young age she learned to drive a tractor, work with her hands as she toiled in the garden and helping her father in the fields. 

Merle worked her show sheep and chickens to show at the county stock show and learned how to sew in home economics class, leading her to sew many of her own articles of clothing. 

After graduating from Gonzales High School, Merle moved to Victoria to attend the Durham College of Business and after completing her education she accepted a job with the First National Bank of Victoria.

She would park her car in the lot near the fire station that was in close proximity to the bank and as she walked in front of the fire department to work a young fireman by the name of Don Allen West would notice and what began as whimsical self introduction to his bank teller turned into 51 years of loving marriage. 

She was a model wife and mother. She was everything D.A. could ask for and more in a wife and mother of their children. Merle was such a loving and caring person, always smiling, an excellent cook, warm and welcoming to everybody her children brought home. She was a strong woman and held her boys in check when such was called for and held them in her motherly arms as often as she could. She adored her grandchildren and insisted on purchasing a crew cab pick-up truck to allow for enough room to carry them around when ever the opportunity presented itself. 

Merle used her background in raising poultry to raise emus when they first became popular.  Starting out with four pair she incubated the eggs to build her mob to 222 emus. They sold all but 10 at the height of the emu interest. Merle continued caring for the remaining emus as pets and helping D.A. care for all of the other farm animals they raised.

Though Merle had moved to and worked in the city for a few years as young woman, the country girl in her was always happily present. She enjoyed playing 42 and dancing, especially to polka music. Merle befits the charming thought that you can take the girl out of Cost but you can’t take Cost out of the girl.

Merle is survived by her husband of 51 loving years, D.A. West; sons and daughters-in-law, Mark Allen and Sarah West and Winston Lee and Davanna West all of Victoria; brother and sister-in-law, Carroll and Linda Gloor of San Antonio; and her treasured grandchildren, Tye West, Jake West, Kendall West, Kenneth West, Thomas West and Faith West. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20 in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home with Pastor Jim Pearson officiating. Interment will follow in Hermann Sons Cemetery in Gonzales.  The family will receive friends from 9 -10 a.m. Saturday morning prior to the service.  Memorials may be made to the building fund at the First English Lutheran Church, 500 N Main St, Victoria, Texas 77901. 

Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.

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