Mary P. West-Bott

SUN CITY - Mary P. West-Bott died in hospice at The Gathering at Boutwell's Landing in Stillwater on Aug. 5, 2013. Mary Abigail was born to Frank and Ruth (Mullen) Patrick in Hinckley, Minn. She attended schools in Hinckley. After graduating from high school she completed a teacher-training course and taught all grades in a one-room school outside Hinckley. She lived with a farm family; each morning she walked a half mile to the school, arriving in time to build a fire in the wood stove before she rang the bell for the students. She married Merrill Charles Saxton in Hinckley four days after the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940. After the wedding, they boarded the Northern Pacific and moved to Logan, Mont. where Merrill had a job working for the railroad. They moved many times over the years and lived in Logan, Whitehall, and Missoula Mont., Spokane Wash., Seattle, Chicago, White Bear Lake, Butte Mont., Bigfork Mont., and Yuma Ariz. Merrill died in Yuma in 1986. Mary was alone for two years before marrying her second husband, Enar "Spike" West in Yuma, Ariz. They spent their summers in Albert Lea Minn., and winters in Yuma. Spike died in 1995. In 1997, Edmund Bott of Wyandotte Mich. entered Mary's life. They lived in Wyandotte and Sun City Ariz. and had twelve years together. After Ed's death, Mary spent her summers in Minnesota and the rest of the year in Sun City, Ariz. In the fall of 2012, she moved to hospice at The Gathering at Boutwell's Landing. She was in hospice for 10 months. Mary was preceded in death by her three husbands, Merrill, Spike, and Ed; and a son, Patrick who died in Spokane in 1943. She is survived by her children, Ruthann (John) Selden,Sally (John) Chesterman, Charles (Janet) Saxton; grandchildren, Ben (Katie) Selden, Luke (Trisha) Selden, Patrick (Sayaka) Chesterman, Timothy (Carolyn) Chesterman, Casey (Reggie) Saxton, and Jamie (Brad) Birch; six great-grandchildren; and her much-loved sisters, Ann Schmidt and Pat Syverson. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff and compassionate care givers at The Gathering. In lieu of flowers, Mary's family would prefer memorials to The Gathering at Boutwell's Landing 5601 Norwich Parkway, Stillwater, MN 55082. A memorial service for Mary P. West-Bott (Saxton) will be held at 11 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 27, 2013 at St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in White Bear Lake, Minn. Arrangements with Bradshaw Funeral and Cremation Services, 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard, Stillwater, MN, 651-439-5511.