Brief Life History of William Orval
When William Orval West was born on 28 April 1882, in Orange, Indiana, United States, his father, Robert L West, was 22 and his mother, Sarah M. Thompson, was 16. He married Bertha C Rachota on 11 October 1910, in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. He lived in Herman, Washington, Nebraska, United States in 1885. He died on 2 April 1948, in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, at the age of 65, and was buried in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (7)
- Orval Wm Nest in household of Robert L Nest, "Nebraska State Census, 1885"
- William O. West, "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920"
- William Orville West, "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918"
Spouse and Children
1882–1948 Male
1882–1958 Female
Parents and Siblings
1859–1923 Male
1865–1941 Female
Siblings (4)
1882–1948 Male
1883–1924 Male
1886–1956 Female
1888–1965 Male
World Events (8)
1885 · The World's First Skyscraper
Age 3
1886
Age 4
1900 · Gold for Cash!
Age 18
Name Meaning
English and German: from Middle English, Middle High German west ‘west’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived to the west of a settlement, or a habitational name for someone who had migrated from further west.
Americanized form of Finnish Vesterinen: from the personal name Vesteri (a short form of Sylvester ) + the surname suffix -nen.
History: This name was brought to North America independently by many bearers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thomas West, 12th Baron De La Warre, was captain general of Virginia in 1610–11. The state of DE is named for him. One of the earliest permanent settlers was Francis West (1606–92), who came to Duxbury, MA, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, in or before 1638.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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