THE OBITUARY OF FLOYD EARL WEST SR.

From the Norway, Me. Advertiser-Democrat February 5,
1970:


"Floyd E. West


UPTON--- Floyd Earl West, 76,
died at his home, Wednesday, January
28.

He was born April 14,1893 at South
Paris, the son of Philip J. and Clara
(Ellingwood) West.

He married the former Cora Barker.
Mr. West lived most of his life in Up-
ton and Wilsons Mills and was a re-
tired woodsman. He was a veteran of
World War I.

Surviving are his widow of Upton;
three daughters, Mrs. Malcolm Harvey
Wentworth Location, Mrs. Charles
Bargar, Uhrichsville, Ohio, Mrs. Her-
bert Balser, Milan, N.H; two sons,
Floyd E. Jr., of Abington, Mass, and
Stanley R. of Molan, N.H.; two broth-
hers, Clarence P. West of Wilsons Mills
and William Tidswell, Turner; 15
grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held Satur-
day, January 31 at 2 pm from the
Greenleaf Funeral Home, Bethel, Rev.
Bertha Burris officiating.
Burial in the spring at the Lincoln
Plantation Cemetery."

I found this clipping tucked away in the top drawer of the
dresser the other night while trying to find my old school
report cards. I immediately scanned it and saved the image,
but it wasn't until I was discussing finding the obituary with
a co-worker at the bookstore that I realized that it was
incorrect, genealogically speaking. My father did indeed have
a brother named Stanley, who was born before Dad but he
died in infancy. The Stanley R. West in the obituary is actually
his nephew, the son of my Aunt Hazel who is the "Mrs.
Malcolm Harvey" in the list of children. I was told by my
parents that Stanley's father had died and that when Hazel
married Malcolm Harvey, my grandmother raised Stanley.
A researcher might assume that there was only the one
Stanley unless they already knew the family history or had
seen the death record of the infant Stanley.

Another error but a minor one is the typo in Stanley's
residence which should be Milan, not Molan, N.H. And finally
there is how my Aunts are listed, not by their own names but
by their husbands.

The information in death notices and obituaries is usually
provided by the surviving family or family friends and often
reflects their viewpoint of the deceased and the family. So
while obituaries are a great source of family information, it's
still important to check the facts!