Panama City pilot. (Panama City, Washington County, Fla.) 1907-19??, 1908-05-07
Death of LueIIa Vernette
{SimmOnS} West.

| editor of the PILOT, will bring sorrow
to the many who have had the pleasure
of her acquaintance, and especially
grieve those who have had a closer
knowledge of her earnest Christian
life with it's high and noble aims. 1t
was so recently that she was in sole
charge of and editing the PILOT, dur
ing the absence of its editor, Mr. West,
in March, that its readers will not as
yet have forgotten her fOrceful style
of writing, nor her endeavors to up
lift and cheer each and all.
Luella Vernette Simmons was born
in Edinburgh, N. Y. on July LIST,
1868. Her father was Richard G.
Simmons, her mother Julia A.
(Hobbs) Simmons. When she was
two years old the family removed to
Benton county, Iowa, where they
lived some II years. From there
they removed to Calhoun county
where they remained years.
She attended the common schools
of the State until she was II years
old, then going to the High School at
Belle Plaine, Iowa, for two years.
The next year or SO she spent in
teaching district schools near Belle
Plaine, snd Manson, Iowa, following
that by entering the State Normal at
Cedar Falls, Iowa, from which she
graduated with honor. She then took
the position of principal of the High
School at Pomeroy, Iowa, where she
remained about two years, returning
then to the State Normal at Cedar
Falls and t;s-ing the post graduate
course From there she went as
assistant in the school at Bellevue,
Iowa.
While there she felt that duty callet'
her into the evangelistic field, and in
June 1892, she began the sTGuOus
calling of an evangelist among the
mining camps and ranches of Mon
tana. She remained in that service
in connection with the M. E. church
until March 1894, being very success
full in her efforts, and doing a work
physically, that would have tired out
many a man. Her appointments
often neceSsitated her taking long
horse back rides, unattended, through
the unsettled mountainous regions,
visiting the scattered families on
ranches, and doing Christian work
such as but few women have ever
undertaken.
Upon returning from Montana she
entered Penn college, at OskalOOsa,
Iowa, from which she graduated, and
then began teaching Science in the
High School in OskalOOsa, where she
remained four years. Then followed
year in Europe, studying at Berlin,
and touring Italy in an educational
way. She was also at that time al
pointed by Gov Shaw, of Iowa, dele
gate in behalf of that State to inves-
tigate and report upon systems of
education in Europe. Upon her re-
turn from Europe she took position
as teacher of Science, and German,
in the High School at Chicago
Heights, H., within two years be-
coming principal of that large and
important school.
! On June oath, 1905, she married @.
Nj. West, and in 1906 came to their
! home at Old Town, st Andrews Bay,
Fla. She was always active in all
educational and religious work, and
was President of the Art Club, and
/ Foreign Nj Visionary Society, at Chi
cago Heights. At 10 years of age she
Joined the Methodist church, and has
ever since been a faithful Jealous
member. She has always been the
reliance of her pastors in helping
them in church work, and her intense
spiritual character, marvellous faith,
and hopeful temperament have often
most materially aided the advance
ment of the religious work that was
so near and dear to her.
She took a deep interest in the up
building of Panama City, having an
abiding faith that it was destined to
become very important and pros
porous city. Upon her arrival here
she joined the Nj. E. Church, South,
feeling it her duty to cast her lot with
the NJ, E, church of her adopted state,