Thelma Sue (McEntush) West was born into the Louis and Effie Mae McEntush family at the Newport, KY Hospital on July 30, 1930. The family moved to Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, where Thelma Sue attended school, graduating in 1948 and the Rochester Business Institute, graduating in 1949.
Thelma Sue decided to serve the church as a secretary as well was as engage in volunteer projects to aid teenagers. It's at one of those projects in the fall of 1947 she met Harland West. They soon discovered common religious beliefs, interests in the arts, music, theatre and travel. As well as each other's company! They married August 27, 1949 and moved to Batavia, where Harland was the youth minister at the Methodist Church and Student Minister at the Elba Methodist Church. Upon Harland's graduation from the University of Rochester in 1951, they moved to Massachusetts for Harland's divinity studies at Boston University School of Theology and Harvard Divinity School, where Harland graduated in 1955. Upon Harland's ordination, they were appointed to the Methodist Church in Geneseo, where Thelma Sue gave birth to twin sons, Harland West and Charles F. West, and a third son, David J. West. During this time, Thelma Sue began studies at the University of Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, specializing in copper enameling, general and religious pieces. Her creativity was blended with beauty.
In 1962, the family moved to the Asbury-First Church in Rochester as Harland was appointed the Associate Minister. Thelma Sue was employed by the Rochester suburb of Brighton as a street crossing guard. She actively participated in children's and women's activities in the church. The family moved to Fredonia in 1963, where her husband was the Protestant Chaplain to the State University College, and she became the local Presbyterian Church secretary during the Pastorate of Rev. Russ Profitt. In 1973, she became the sales secretary for the Allstate Insurance Company at the D&F Plaza in Dunkirk for the ensuing 15 years.
Thelma Sue loved her boys! Together, they had fun times during the era of grammar and high school sports and social activities. She was active in the Fredonia Middle and Fredonia High School PTA groups, serving as President and Treasurer. Upon completion of high school and college, the family grew as Harland married Sheila Stewart, Charles wed Lois Jean Baker, and David married Ann Brooks (the first woman Police Sargent in the two county areas). Ann gave birth to grandchildren David Jordan II and Brandon Michael. Thelma Sue is also survived by her great-granddaughter, Arie Tanner-West.
Thelma Sue enjoyed sports, the arts, music and traveling to these activities, with visits to her parents in Quebec, Canada; Orange Bowl games in Florida; the Vincent Van Gogh Exhibition in Amsterdam, Netherlands; wintering at Disney World, in Orlando, Florida; the Scandinavian Counties; the Low Countries and the Claude Monte Homestead in France. She was an activistic Christian daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, neighbor and friend until her health limited her activities during her recent years.
Thelma Sue was an enduring gracious person, loving and caring, optimistic and supporting. A wonderful life companion for two years of "going steady" and 68 years of joyous marriage. Thank you Thelma Sue.
Besides her parents, Thelma Sue was predeceased by her brother, William McEntush.
Memorial contributions in Thelma Sue's memory may be made to Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care (www.hospicechautco.org), 20 W. Fairmount Ave., Lakewood, NY 14750; or the Lakeshore Humane Society (www.lakeshorehumane.org), 431 E. Chestnut St., Dunkirk, NY 14048.
A Celebration of Life Service will be conducted on Saturday, February 3 at the Harvest Chapel Free Methodist Church, 39 Matteson Street, Fredonia at 11 a.m. A luncheon will follow the service.
Online condolences may be made at www.larsontimkofuneralhome.com. Arrangements by David J. Dengler, Larson-Timko Funeral Home.
