Roberta West

Roberta Mariea West, 90, of Colony, Kansas, passed away in the presence of her family at St. Luke's Hospice House on February 11, 2018. Roberta was born May 18, 1927, in rural Kansas. The eldest child of Claude and Mary (O'Dell) McGhee, she grew up near rural Colony and graduated from LeRoy High School at age 17 in 1944. On April 24, 1946, she married Robert West in a parsonage in LeRoy, Kansas. After their marriage, they moved to their lifelong home in rural Colony where they raised their three children, Randall, Ronda and Kylie. Roberta started teaching at age 17 in 1944 at Sunnyside School and retired from Westphalia Elementary School in 1989. During those years, she attended Emporia State University in the summers to achieve her teaching degree and eventually obtained her Master's degree. She taught in a one room schoolhouse grades 1-8 at Sunnyside, Geneva, Plank, and Aliceville. Then spent 11 years as a 7th grade teacher at LeRoy, and her last 16 years teaching at Westphalia. After retiring from teaching for 42 years, she continued as substitute teacher for 8 more years. Roberta was devoted to a profession that she felt blessed to do. Many of her former students describe her warmth and nurturing presence as unmatched. She was a member of Northcott Christian Church and dedicated her life to helping others. Every year she sewed quilts for missions, assembled boxes for Operation Christmas Child and purchased bibles to send to China through the Nora Lam Institute. Roberta is survived by her daughter Ronda West, Colony; son, Randall West and wife Karon, Colony; daughter Kylie Moon and husband Jonathan, Lee's Summit, MO. She is also survived by 7 grandchildren; Marilyn Cuch and husband Cameron of Roosevelt, UT; Ryan West of Topeka, KS; Eric West and wife Shay of Burlingame, KS; Blake West and wife Ashley of Topeka, KS; Brooke Connell and husband Kipp of Lenexa, KS; Piper and Quinley Moon of Lee's Summit, MO, and 10 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Thelma Haley and husband A.D. of Yuba City, CA, and sister Sharon Voorhees and husband George of Colony, sister-in-law Dorothy McGhee of Iola, sister-in-law Shirley McGhee of Colony, and brother-in-law Bill Stahl of Branson, MO. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert West, parents Claude and Mary McGhee, brothers Gary and Duane McGhee, and sister, Mikell Stahl. Visitation will be Friday, February 16 from 6-8 p.m. at the Christian Church in LeRoy. Funeral Services will be Saturday, February 17 at 10 a.m. at the Christian Church in LeRoy. Burial will be in Logue Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Northcott Christian Church or St. Luke's Hospice House. Condolences can be left for the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com .