The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Aubrey Hext West, 86, of Deweyville, passed away with her family by her side, Friday, Sept. 30, in Beaumont. Services will be at 2:00 pm, Monday, Oct. 3, at First Baptist Church of Deweyville with the Rev. Damon Bickham officiating. Interment will follow at Trout Creek Cemetery under the direction of Dorman Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 PM, Sunday, Oct. 2, at First Baptist Church of Deweyville.

Aubrey, one of 12 children, was born Dec. 7, 1929 in Leesville, La., to Ada Ellen Smith Hext and the Rev. W.J Hext. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Deweyville.

She lived a life of service to her community with her love, J.D., by her side. Together they owned and operated a wrecker service for many years. Later they raised funds to purchase an ambulance and begin the People's Volunteer Ambulance Service in Deweyville. When it was clear more help was needed to actually operate the ambulance, Aubrey trained to be an EMT at 57 years old and often spent 80 hours a week volunteering on call. You would often see her in her EMT uniform rush out of church Sunday mornings to minister to her friends in Deweyville on an ambulance call. She loved it and only stopped in her 70s when her doctors insisted.

Aubrey was an incredibly loving person to her family and friends. Her day of rejoicing in Heaven will leave a hole in the hearts of her family until we meet again.

She was preceded in death by her husband JD West; daughter Glenda Kinder and parents; brothers, Joe Hext, Jr., WD Hext, Faxon Lee and Evon Lee; sisters; Audrey "Sue" Bourgue, Dot Browning, Dovie Curtis, Linda Faye Hext and Thelma Jo Semons.

Survivors include her son John D. West and his wife Pam of Deweyville; grandchildren John West, Jr. and wife Jamey, Kacey Prejean and husband Wyatt, Lisa Carroll and husband Scooter, Jason West, and Ramona McDaniel and great grandchildren Blake, Meagan, Nathan, Jasa, Hayden, Delaney, Zoe and Hope Aubrey; sisters; Sissy Ross of Singer, LA, Deloris Rogers and Dona Faye Dowden, both of Hornbeck, LA.

Pallbearers will be Johnny Levins, James West, Wyatt Prejean, Scooter Carroll, Ray Browning and Bob Browning.

Special thanks to Orange Villas and Aubrey’s favorite caretaker, Mandy Brown.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Baptist Church Deweyville.