Kaiser-Wiegers Funeral Home
Ivan (Ellis) West, of Higginsville, Missouri, passed away on Thursday, November 26, 2015, at his home.
Ellis was born January 24, 1931 in Warrensburg, Missouri, the son of Ivy Lee and Lilas Izetta (Fox) West. He attended Farmer High School his freshman year and graduated from Mayview High School in 1949. He worked at the Higginsville Shoe Factory and the Odessa Shoe Factory before enlisting in the United States Army in 1952. In 1954 Ellis was honorably discharged after serving in the Korean War. Ellis started his employment with General Motors in 1958 and retired after thirty years in 1988. He was a member of the Mayview Lions Club, Higginsville American Legion Post# 223, and was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Odessa. Ellis was a member of the First Baptist Church in Mayview Missouri.
On September 6, 1957 he married Mary Helen Bell in Concordia, Missouri, and to this union they were blessed with three daughters, Stacie, Shelly, and Sheila. They shared a blessed life for 58 years.
Ellis had a passion for all game hunting and fishing but his preference was to go rabbit hunting with his beagles when he was a young man. He was an honest, hardworking man that was devoted to his family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a very kind and loving man that was always available to his family and friends. He was a man of few words but a wealth of wisdom.
Ellis is survived by his wife, Mary Helen; three daughters, Stacie Lynette Neer and her husband Ron, of Higginsville, Missouri, Shelly Jean Loges and her husband Wayne, of Higginsville, Missouri, and Sheila Rae West of Higginsville, Missouri; one brother, Geral Lewis West, of Mayview, Missouri; four grandchildren, Tony Neer and his wife Cara of Higginsville, Missouri, Drew Neer and his wife, Lindsey of Grain Valley, Missouri, Dustin Smith of Higginsville, Missouri, and Ashley Schumaker and her husband Josh, of Higginsville, Missouri; five great-grandchildren, Dagan and Atticus Smith, Jayden and Madison Neer and Ellis Schumaker. His sixth great-grandchild will be arriving in June, 2016.
Ellis was preceded in death by his father, Ivy Lee in September 1977, his mother, Lilas Izetta in December of 1996 and a sister-in-law, Helen Marie West.
Memorial Services will be held December 4, 2015, at 2:00 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Mayview, Missouri, with Pastor Dave Percival officiating. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service, at the church.
Burial will follow beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri with an Honor Guard provided by the Higginsville American Legion Post #223.
Honorary Pallbearers will be: Dustin Smith, Ashey Schumaker, Tony Neer, and Drew Neer..
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church in Mayview, in memory of Ellis. Condolences may be emailed to the family at: Kaiser-Wiegers@ctcis.net
