The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-03
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
Sketch of Rev. VIM 4. West. ID.
ID. of the Presbyterian Church
McConnellsburg, Pa.
Continued From First PaseJ

"A more gentle, lovely Christian
woman never lived. "
From such a royal ancestry
came our beloved brother, a peo.
pie of simple and hearty man.
ners, of strong hands and stout
hearts. of honest and sterling
virtues of pure religious faith and
answering convictions. 1t is
worth something to have the
blood Of such ancestors tingling
in our veins and to feel in every
fiber of ones being the impulses
of such worthy examples.
1t was while the family was
residing at Landisburg that vii.
liam A. West was born on Fabru.
airy %, 1895. Removing the same
year to Warm Springs. Perry
county, the following ten years
of happy childhood and boyhcod
passed away while unconsciously
TO himself the foundations of the
man that was to be, were secure
ly laid. In 1886 the family re
moved to New Bloomfield where
better facilities for education
were offered in the public schools
and in the Academy. No tradi-
tions have been preserved of the
school boy nor of the Academy
youth who was preparing for col
lege. 1t is safe to say that La.
ture doubtless asserted itself in
the ordinary way and repressed
the gravity of coming manhood.
1t is common word, Boys will
be boys" Alas for the world if ii
were not 50. The dawning man.
lncss and self reliance Of the
youth were shown by the fact
that in his nineteenth year, he
was called to take charge of one
of the public school Of New Bloom
field aud learned his first lessons
in the art that was TO fill his life
with the Art of Teaching. In the
year before, his eighteenth year,
1913, a step had been taken that
shaped the course of all subse.
quent years, he openly acknowl-
edged Jesus Christ as his sole
Master and Savior, consecreated
his life to His service, and united
with the Presbyterian church of
New Bloomfield then under the
care Of Rev. John Dickey.
The definite aim of life still
hung in the balance, One of the
Professions must be chosen, the
medical life presented attrac.
riOns, his thoughts bent that
way, and he even began the
study of Medicine under the di.
rection of his brother-in-la law, DR..
Samuel G. Edwards. But deep
in his heart the voice that mad
called him TO the feet Of the Great
Master called anew and SAID, Il
have another path for your feet,
come speak for me TO the men
for whom / died" The Heavenly
vision disturbed the tenor of his
thoughts, aud rest and assur-
ance came, when he answered.
"Speak Lord, for thy servant
heareth. The aim Of life was
fixed; he left all and followed Je.
sus in the way, as definitely as
did Matthew by the wayside, on
James and John by the sea o.
Genessaret. The charm anc
beauty of this choice Of the Min
istry for all true men is its un
worldliness; il gathers all though
and purpose and love about on,
high end.
The immediate result Of thu
decision was the choice of Col
lege and Theological training. II
the fall Of 1874, Mr.. West enter
ed the Freshman class in Mar
shall College, Mercersburg, Pa
The College course was filled
with close, hard study, through
five brave years. The extra yea
was made necessary by the fac
that the young stndent wa
thrown upon his resources I
meet the cost OF his education
BY private tutorage during III
college course, by teaching in va