March 1, 1919 – July 4, 2013

NATCHEZ — Services for Artimese Tarlton Morris West, 94, of Natchez, who died peacefully Thursday, July 4, 2013, at her residence, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pilgrim Baptist Church with the Rev. Birdon Mitchell Jr. officiating.

Burial will follow at Sunset View Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of West Gate Funeral Home, 409 Martin Luther King Jr. St.

Visitation will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today with a wake service beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the George F. West Sr. Memorial Chapel at the funeral home.

Mrs. West was born March 1, 1919, in Adams County, the daughter of Elvira Cecile Morris and Eddie Tarlton.

Mrs. West graduated from Brumfield High School in 1937 as salutatorian of her class. She married George F. West on June 7, 1937, and they were jointly baptized in August of 1939, at Union Baptist Church by the late Rev. P.C. Curtis. Her membership continued under the leadership of the late W.C. Mazique.

To her union with George, six sons and one daughter were born.

Mrs. West served on and held a number of offices and memberships in organizations in the Natchez community. She was the first African-American alderwoman for the City of Natchez, serving out the term of her husband.

Mrs. West was the owner/co-founder of West Funeral Home and West House of Flowers where she served for more than 50 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George F. West Sr.; one daughter, Diane West Braddy; one son, Theodore West; four sisters, Thelma Green, Doris Fort, Elvira Morris and Lucille Barnes; one brother, Abraham Morris; and two grandsons; John Jr. and J.T.

Survivors include five sons, George West Jr. and wife, Billie, of Dallas, Henry Eddie West, John West and wife, Norma, James West and wife, Sharon, all of Natchez, and Samuel West and wife, Theresa, of Clinton; one son-in-law, Robert Braddy Sr. of Florence; five sisters-in-law, Ruby West and Mamie West, both of Natchez, Evelyn O’Bannon, Bertha West and Lerel Stewart; one cousin, Pearl Griffin of Compton, Calif.; and a number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers will be the grandsons.

Honorary pallbearers will be the sons.