Larry Alan West

Larry Alan West, of Kosse, passed away at home on Saturday, August 24, 2019, at age 75, under the care of Hospice during a brief illness.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 27, 2019, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Groesbeck Funeral Home.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at Ebenezer Cemetery, with Reverend Jack Wren officiating.

Pallbearers will be David Wolf, George Wolf, Jr., Valerie Lewis, Ronnie Pettigrew, Joshua Wolf, and James Sthrohline.   Paul Barnett, Jr. will be an Honorary Pallbearer.

Larry was born in Houston on December 12, 1943 to Lewis West and Robbie Ruley West.    His mother passed away right after his birth, and her sister, Sybil Jones took Larry and raised him as her own dearly loved son.   She was his mother instead of an aunt for the rest of her life.

After growing up and going to school in Houston, Larry became a truck driver.   His driving career took a break while he served in the U. S. Army from January 1966 through January 1968.   While serving at Fort Sill, OK and in St. Louis, he was being trained to go to Vietnam but did not have to go there.

Larry went back to driving trucks for McLean Trucking Co. in Houston, and later for CF Trucking Co.   His work had him in the Houston traffic daily until he retired after thirty years, but he had really liked his work.

Larry was united in marriage with Martha Nell Head on August 12, 1988 in Pasadena and they made their home in Houston until moving to Limestone County.    They happened to see an ad for property outside Kosse one day in the Houston paper.   They were already familiar with the countryside as they had been to Lake Limestone before, so they came right on to Kosse and put money down to purchase.    They moved to Limestone County on Halloween 1999 and built a garage first to live in while their house was being built.

Larry and Martha soon got acquainted with their Kosse neighbors by going to town and meeting people in person at the stores and eating out at the cafes.  Larry had become a Christian shortly after they married and they moved their letter from their church in Houston to the First Baptist Church of Kosse and were faithful members attending on Sundays and eating at Austin’s Steakhouse after services.

Larrry had several hobbies, and while living in Houston, enjoyed flintknapping, making authentic crafted Indian arrowheads from flint he and Martha had collected at various places, using the same workmanship as the Indians had used.    They enjoyed going to flea markets and Canton just to look at antique items and he was especially interested in the various knives.     Larry set up a shop with a forge at his garage at Kosse, where he taught himself how to make knives and crafted some nice ones for a few years. 

Larry and Martha did not miss Houston, and loved living at Kosse.  Their family enjoyed coming to the country for great holidays together and other times they just wanted to get out of the city.     He was a wonderful husband and will be dearly missed.

Larry was preceded in death by his father, birth mother, Sybil was the mother he knew all his life, and two sisters, Joyce Barnett and Myrtle Damuth.

He is survived by his wife, Martha West of Kosse; step-children, George Wolf, Jr. of Pasadena;  Valerie Lewis of Spring; David Wolf of Huffman, and Reena Sthrohline of Manvel; brothers, Danny West and Bobby West; and nieces and nephews: Tena, Janie, Paul, Vernon, Debbie, Barbara, Melody and Lowell.