Local History with Dede Terns-Thorpe - ONE WORKs HARD TO ENRICH THE REST OF THEIR LIFE said often by William H Byrne

This is a great life story about Jim West from East Jewett. It’s worth repeating! Jim was prompted to write this after reading about his long-term bowling buddy, Mary Mahoney McGinnis.

Mr. West was born in the Tannersville Red Cross Hospital (on the corner of Spring St. & Main St.) in 1931. (It would be great if a record of the deliveries performed by that hospital was available.) Jim’s parents, Jim and Lucy West settled down in 1938, on Colgate Rd. in East Jewett. By then Jim had two sisters, Doris West Brooks (a bright historian and author), and Roberta, or Bobbie as she was called. They enjoyed their new home and loved having electricity. Jim’s grandparents, Nelson, and Jean West, lived close by and for years had neither electricity nor plumbing. Charles and Martha Thorpe, Jim’s other grandparents lived in Tannersville, 

Josephine Tompkins taught grades 1-5 in East Jewett’s one-room schoolhouse. When in the 3rd grade East Jewett School closed and he rode the bus to Tannersville School. 

Jim caddied at the Onteora Golf Course, worked at the Shadow Mt. Ranch, was an assistant caretaker at one of Onteora’s summer homes, and clerked in the Tannersville A & P. (About where Pantry on the Main is today.) 

He graduated in 1949, listed to his parents, and enrolled at Alfred Tech for air conditioning and refrigeration classes. “I had zero interest in any of their subjects and returned home after two semesters.”

He learned about logging while working with a construction crew on the Napanoch Dam.

Jim was best friends through high school with Donald Yager, another local favorite. As buddies, they enlisted for three years in the Army Engineer Corps. Jim said ”In December of 1951, I was transferred to Korea, traveled to Seattle, then by troop ship to Japan and a smaller ship to Korea. I was assigned to a construction engineer battalion. Our company spent little time at the battalion headquarters, moving from one job to another.” Jim was promoted to sergeant and spent 18 months in Korea. The war was winding down reducing work hours. The slowdown was enjoyed after the 11 to 12-hour shifts building ROC training facilities, landing strips for jet fighters, a warehouse, and other projects. 

Friends Don Yager and Jim West visited an army buddy in Honeoye Falls and there they met sisters Shirley and Joan Brooks who were employed at the Stromberg-Carlson plant in Rochester. Jim and Shirley Brooks West (married in 1955) finally settled down on the Cabbage Patch in Haines Falls and then bought their first home on Spring Street. Later they were able to purchase a new house on Clum Hill Road right next door to Don Yager and his bride, Joan, who had married in 1954! 

In 1994, after thirty years, Jim retired as a Bureau Superintendent for the NYS Conservation Department, and became full-time RV’ers, visiting all 49 continental states and Canadian provinces. 

HARD WORK CERTAINLY ENRICHED THE REST OF JIM AND SHIRLEY’S LIFE. 

Thanks, Jim & Shirley. Everyone has a story and yours was great.

Thanks for reading. Take care and stay safe.

Dede Terns-Thorpe/Hunterhistorian