Raymond S. West

Raymond S. West passed away Monday, May 1, 2023. He was born on the family farm on West Run in Center Township, Greene County Thursday, June 10, 1920.

He was very mindful of his family's heritage and how his family arrived in America in 1781 through kidnapping and slavery. He was the third of eight children of Mod Stanley West and Mattie Hazel Wood West. The young family struggled through the Great Depression as it grew. Ray loved growing up on the farm with his seven siblings. He remembered life on the farm being hard, but very good. He attended school at the little one-room schoolhouse down the road from his home. He proudly finished all required eight years of school without missing a single day.

He continued to help on the farm but finding it increasingly hard to find work, he enlisted in the National Guard in 1941. His unit was eventually called into World War II and he soon found himself in the Battle of the Bulge. Ray was taken prisoner by Nazi troops in the winter of 1944 in the Ardennes in Luxembourg. In extreme winter conditions he and other prisoners were marched to German prison camps without food, water or heat. He was first taken to overcrowded Stalag 9B Bad Orb, before he was then marched to Ziegenhain Concentration Camp. Between the brutal winter weather, unsanitary conditions, and the lack of food and water, Raymond nearly lost his life. The camp was abandoned by the Nazi Forces as troops moved to liberate the camp in 1945. Ray, too weak to walk, was immediately transferred to a hospital in London. Suffering from starvation and frostbite, he was then shipped stateside.

Recovering and back home, on March 10, 1946 he married Nannie Stickles West. Together they raised their family near Kirby outside Waynesburg. They had two daughters, Karen West Nyandemoh (deceased, 2020) (Ambrose), and Kathy West Fowler (Dan). Later, he was united with his other daughter, Marilyn Stump Newcombe (Kenneth).

To support his family, Raymond had several jobs: he sank mine shafts for RG Johnson, made faucets for Sterling Faucet Co. in Morgantown, W.Va., worked for Blair & Hampson Hardware in Waynesburg, and ultimately retired as a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.

Raymond and his wife, Nannie had a very close relationship; people always noted that you never saw one without the other. They loved to travel and spent most of their travel time out West, exploring together. When Nannie became ill the traveling stopped and the care began. Raymond took tender loving care of his dear wife for many years until her death in 2002. They were married for 56 years.

One of the happier days of his life occurred April 13, 1996, when Raymond was baptized at the Coraopolis Assembly Hall, alongside his wife and grandson, Derek, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and he has been a faithful member of the Waynesburg and Washington congregations. He enjoyed sharing his faith with others for many years.

Raymond is survived by his two daughters, Kathy (Dan) of Washington, with whom he made his home for over 20 years, and Marilyn Newcombe (Kenneth) of McDonough, Ga.; his five grandchildren, Nelson and Neil Nyandemoh, Derek, Ryan Fowler and Allyshia Fowler Kohosek; along with nine great-grandchildren, Sahr, Sia, Sahr Raymond, Christian and Isaiah Nyandemoh, Mason, Lucas, Nora and Ellyanna Kohosek; sister-in-law, Vivian Eakin; son-in-law, Ambrose Nyandemoh; as well as several nieces, nephews and many close friends; and fictive kin, four grandchildren, Melissa Edmond, Seth Lippert, Shani Nyandemoh and Matt Kohosek.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, Mod and Mattie West; his daughter, Karen Sue Nyandemoh; his siblings, Ruth Varner (Harold), Hugh, Harold (Kathleen), Mod Jr. (Vaundia), Kent, Forrest and Robert West; and his wife, Nannie Stickles West.

Raymond lived 87 years of his life in his beloved Greene County. He moved to North Franklin Township, Washington, in 2007, where he continued to live with his daughter and son-in-law, Dan and Kathy Fowler.

In the early morning hours of Monday, May 1, 2023, Raymond died holding his daughter's hand, in his home, in his own bed, surrounded by family and friends, just the way he wanted. He was 40 days shy of turning 103 years old.

It was, indeed, a life well lived.

The family would like to thank all those who helped with Ray's care, the wonderful staff at Amedisys Hospice Care, his nurse Julie Marshman, aide Melanie Carroll. Also helping care for Raymond was congregational friend, Ron Reynolds; and long- time fictive kin, Delnora Miller.

A memorial service is planned for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 3482 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017.

Additional information and a guest book will be available at www.NealFuneralHome.com.