Lorene Westfall

Lorene S. Westfall, 97, of Vincennes, passed away Aug. 19, 2012 at Colonial Assisted Living. Born May 23, 1915 in Palestine, IL, she was the daughter of Andrew Jackson and Annie (Bartmess) Shaw. Lorene was a Palestine, IL country girl. During the Depression, she moved to Washington D.C., and attended business college. She started working for the Agriculture Department and then transferred to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Lorene met her husband, Morris Westfall, while he was stationed at D.C., as a Naval Commander. They lived only three blocks from the White House. Living that close allowed them to take part in parades, Roosevelt's funeral procession, and even see the Queen of England arrive. Lorene had wonderful memories of parties and dinners at diplomats' homes that they attended; the Chinese and Chilean dinners impressed her. She and Morris were married in 1943, and moved back to Vincennes after the war. They built a new home in 1956 on Hart Street Road, and she lived there until moving to Colonial Assisted Living. While at home, she loved to go out to the backyard pond and fish. An avid vegetable and flower gardener, she also enjoyed sewing all her clothes, quilting (for which she won first place in the county fair), needlepoint, and her angel collection. Morris and Lorene travelled all over the United States and Canda. For their 25th anniversary, they went to eight countries in Europe. They liked it so well that they went back later that year for three more countries. Lorene was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Order of the Eastern Star, American Legion Auxillary, the Military Wives Association, and Psi Xota Zi. Preceding her were her parents; her husband, Morris Westfall; brothers Millard and Marshall Shaw; and her sisters, Myrtle Little and Emma Gray. Surviving are her nieces and nephews, Lloyd Downen of Knoxville, Tn, Byron Downen of Hollis, NY, Mary Margaret Spates of Bethesda, MD, Mary Jeanette Yochum of Vincennes, Steve Yochum of Round Lake, IL, Jerine Dempsey of Springfield, MO, Roberta Fitch of Madisonville, KY, James Westfall of Vincennes, Oscar Westfall of Manchester, TN, Joan Van Over of Evansville, IN, Sue Tilley of Brazil, IN, Wayne Little of Vincennes, Marjorie Maxwell of Post Falls, ID, Leo Little of Las Vegas, NV, and Larry Buser of Palestine, IL. A funeral service will be held Wednesday at 11:00 EDT, at the Gardner-Brockman Funeral Home. Rev. Ray Tromley will officiate. Friends may call from 10:00