Michael Flannery West, third son of Weldon Elbert West and Lillian Bernice Smith West, was born on February 15, 1951, in the Old Blanco Courthouse Hospital. He was delivered by Dr. J.J. Flannery, who helped name him. The ground was covered with snow and ice on the day he was born.
Mike grew up enjoying all sports, fishing, swimming, and hunting. He loved running his hunting dogs all over the hills surrounding his family’s land. Mike was always ready to help anyone he thought needed help. When Mike was a very small boy, he got a new pair of tinny shoes. He had Mammaw wash his old pair, and he took them and a pair of socks to a little boy who didn’t have any. He told her, later that made his friend very happy. This charitable and kind heart followed him his entire life, helping anyone in need and opening his door to many individuals.
Mike was a special person to his grandparents, especially his Daddy Ben, since Mike loved hunting and fishing almost as much as his grandpa did. He grew up with nine brothers and sisters: Bennie, Bill, Ann, Jane, Jan, Hollis, Lew, Sheila, and Neil. Jane, closest to him in age, was his special fishing partner. They spent hours fishing the waters of the Blanco River.
Mike was good at sports, especially football, and he was also good at music, being a member of the Blanco Panther Band, helping to bring home several first place trophies. His favorite sport was football, even though he played baseball and ran track, even going to state competition one year. He helped place several trophies in the trophy case at school.
Mike graduated from Blanco High School in May of 1970. He attended one year of college at Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas, before deciding to be a lineman for Pedernales Electric Coop where he made many lifelong friends. Mike continued to work for PEC and retired in 2010 after 40 years of service.
On March 3, 1973, Mike married Debra Kay Johnson in a ceremony at her grandparents’ home in Blanco. Mike and Debbie are the parents of three children; Clinton Michael, Sarah Lynn, and Weldon Ross. Mike and Debbie built their home on the old West farm where they raised their children to love the outdoors and animals. They are a family who have always enjoyed doing everything together and, as his children grew, Mike made sure that this same sense of family and togetherness was passed down to their kids. Mike’s grandbabies were the center of his universe and he lived to spoil them.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents Ben and Nealie Smith, Hattie and Ollie, parents Weldon and Bernice West, as well as his sisters Ann Nell and Sarah Beth, and brothers Bennie and Bill. He is survived by his wife Debra West, Clinton and his wife Gina of Blanco, Ross and wife Stephanie of Kingsville, and Sarah and husband Quentin of Dumas, and nine grandchildren: Hunter, Ella, Emme, Briley, Conner, Stanton, Jentry, Chesna, and Anna Lynn. He is also survived by sisters and brothers: Nealie Jane, Annie Janice, Hollis Sue, Lew Massey, Shelia Elizabeth and Neil Craig, and numerous nieces and nephews who depended on Mike for picking stickers, pulling loose baby teeth, and bandaging wounds.
Mike’s loving spirit, love of storytelling, and sense of humor will be greatly missed, but never forgotten, especially by anyone blessed enough to know him.
A memorial service will be held on July 10 at 11 am at UpTown Blanco.
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