Martha Jane West was born May 12, 1932, in Dyer, Tennessee to the late Clara and John West and departed this life on March 30, 2025 in Ocean Springs, MS after a lengthy illness. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Clara West; sisters Ida Mae & Simone West; and brothers, Dorsey and Walter West. Martha Jane attended Dyer Julius Rosenwald Elementary School in Dyer,Tennessee and graduated from Trenton Rosenwald High School in 1949. She graduated from Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1953 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri after graduating from college, where she worked in the first integrated nursery school for eight years. She then began her career as a teacher of the trainable and severely handicapped Special Education students. She retired from this position after 40 years of service as an employee of the St. Louis County School System. Martha Jane attended Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Dyer, Tennessee, while growing up. She was baptized at Clores Chapel Presbyterian Church around the age of 9 during a revival. She joined Lane Tabernacle Methodist in 1960, where she served until her health failed. Martha Jane was active in her local community and national politics. She, along with her lifelong friend, attended the National Democratic Convention as a delegate when Jessie Jackson ran as a Democratic Convention candidate. Jane was a member of the NAACP, Coalition of Black Trade Unions, Organization of Black Struggle, and Tennessee State University Alumni Association. She was a frequent caller to the Onion Horton Show advocating for the rights of African Americans. Martha Jane leaves to cherish her memory, nephew Charles (Pete) West, Biloxi, MS; great niece, Ida Claire West, Gautier, MS; great nephews, Chuck (Jeaneen) West, Hoover, AL and Dorsey (Michele) West, Gautier, MS; great-great nephews, Charles West, San Diego, CA and Nicholas West, Philadelphia, PA; great-great nieces, Samantha West and Madison Mitchell, Gautier, MS; sister-in-law, Fannie West, Memphis, TN; special family members and friends, Rebecca Lancaster, Johnetta Carver, and Irma Martin; and a host of cousins, friends, and associates.
