COUSIN QUEST: THE FAMILY OF LEONIDAS WEST

This is the latest in a series of posts about the descendants of the
children of John Cutter West and Arvilla (Ames) West in the hopes
it will put me in contact with some of my unknown distant cousins.

John and Arvilla's eighth child was their fourth daughter Arvilla
Electa West who died unmarried at the age of seventeen during the
diptheria epidemic of 1862. (you can read about it here))

Their ninth child was Leonidas West, their fifth son. Leonidas
married Valora Abbott in 1872 and holds the distinction of being
the first West family member(that I know of) to leave New England
and head west, living for a time in Minnesota before moving on to
Washington state. I don't know for sure what prompted the move.
Leonidas was a Civil War veteran; perhaps there was a land grant
he took advantage of using? More likely is that he might have just
been looking for work in farming or thew lumber industry.

I had some information on Leonidas and his children to start out
with and found more online including cousin Zac Anderson's family
tree over on Ancestry.com:


1. Leonidas West (b.21 Jul 1847-Letter "b" Township,Upton,Oxford,Me;
d.28 May 1932-Brewster,O,Washington)
sp: Valora Abbott (b.25 Aug 1846-Upton,Oxford,Me.;m.18 Jan 1872;
d.24 Mar 1936-Brewster,Okanogan,Wa)
2. Otis Leroy West (b.8 Jan 1873-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota
;d.23 Feb 1939)
sp: Ethel Alvina Hope (b.1879;m.6 Nov 1901)
3. Ernest Lee West (b.12 Feb 1912-Everett,Snohomish Co.,Wa;
d.4 Mar 1977-Tacoma,Pierce Co.,Wa)
sp: Arlene Winifred Hilton (b.26 Dec 1925-Napavine,Lewis,Wa;
d.20 Oct 1993-Tacoma,Pierce,Wa)
4. Alvina West
2. Frank Ernest West (b.27 Mar 1874-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota
;d.20 Aug 1954-Brewster,Okanogan,Wa)
2. Clarinda Britton West (b.22 Apr 1876-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota
;d.2 Aug 1959-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota)
sp: Frank Llewellyn Keller (b.29 Sep 1870-Minneapolis,Hennepin,
Minnesota;m.1 Jun 1899;d.30 Sep 1935-Minneapolis, Hennepin,Minnesota)
3. Russell West Keller (b.22 Nov 1900-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota;
d.Abt 1972)
3. Dorothy Keller (b.2 Jul 1902-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota;
d.17 Jan 1943-Minneapolis,Hennepin,Minnesota)
sp: William Mansford Coffman (b.20 Nov 1903-Salem,Washington,Indiana;
m.23 Nov 1927;d.3 May 1971-Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota)
4. Farrell Jane Coffman (b.1 Jun 1935-Edina, Hennepin,Minnesota;
d.14 Oct 2009-Billings,Yellowstone,Wy)
sp: Robert Stewart (m.8 May 1958)
3. Robert Keller (b.11 Feb 1907-Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota;
d.29 Feb 1964)
sp: Helen Delaney
2. Louisa Belle West (b.20 Mar 1881;d.12 Apr 1960)
sp: Charles McVoy (b.1877;m.1 Jun 1905)
3. Margaret McVoy (b.1907)
3. Marian McVoy (b.1909)

This concludes the series on the descendants of the children of
John Cutter and Arvilla (Ames) West.(Their two youngest children,
Ruth Ellen and David Pingree West perished in the diptheria
epidemic.) I've tried not to include living members of the families
out of respect for their privacy and security. I apologize if I've
inadvertently listed them here.

I'll post some thoughts and corrections on the whole series soon
and I'm in the process of looking into a connection between
Valora Abbott and others of my ancestors.