Phyllis Louise West, 82, of Montesano and Aberdeen, Wash., and a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 15, 2007, at Montesano Health & Rehab Center, Montesano, Wash.
Her funeral will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Central Park Baptist Church in Aberdeen, Wash. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.
Phyllis was born on Dec. 3, 1924, at Baker City to Melvin B. and Grace Harrison Schnackenberg. She was a 1942 Baker High School graduate. Her family moved to Vanport, a government housing project for workers at the Kaiser Defense Shipyards where her father worked as fire chief.
Soon after the war ended, Phyllis met a sailor in Portland who was on 24-hour shore leave after having brought American POWs home from Japan, and fell in love. They kept in touch and on May 15, 1946, Phyllis married Bill R. West at Cyril, Okla.
They returned back to Vanport where they lived until the flood of ’48’ which devastated the government housing at the Kaiser Yards, now Janzen Beach. They relocated to Portland, then Milwaukee, and Gladstone, where they lived until 1969.
They then moved to Rainier and then to Aberdeen in 1987 where they lived at the time of her death.
Phyllis was a housewife who enjoyed being with her family and was an avid bowler, playing in a league at Milwaukie. She also enjoyed fishing and being outdoors.
Survivors include her husband of 60 years:, Bill R. West of Aberdeen; a son, Bruce B. West of Kelso, Wash.; two grandchildren, Michael West and his wife, Trish, and Amanda M. West, both of Longview, Wash.; three great-grandchildren, Tyler, Mac and Kaieh West; a brother, Son Schnackenberg of Portland; and a sister, Doris McClure also of Portland.
A card of condolence or of a memory may be sent to the family at this Web site: www.fernhillfuneral.com.
Fern Hill Funeral Home at Aberdeen, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 19, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
