Westova Goins

Obituary For Westova Goins

Our aunt, loving sister, daughter, cousin, adopted grandmother, and friend. Westova Goins was a pistol! Aunt Wes was determined, driven, independent, and outspoken. She loved to prove people wrong.

Westova was born at home in Martinsville, Virginia to Arthur Lee Goins and Hattie Bell Travis Goins on Friday, June 17, 1921. She and her three older siblings (Gertrude Goins, James Goins, Oklis Goins Parks) and four younger (Annie Laura Goins, Thomas Goins, Stafford Goins, Savannah Goins Draper) grew up in the age of the Great Depression. She told of stories love, hard work, and family fun. Their mother taught them everything from sewing, to cooking, to canning, to gardening, to making butter and their father worked on the railroad to provide for his wife and children.

Westova graduated high school at 15 and left Virginia at 23 for Ohio. She and her older sister Oklis came to Cleveland in 1943. They worked in factories building parts to support the efforts of World War II. She bought her first house in 1948 and her second, multifamily house in 1954 off of Kinsman Road. She spoke proudly of paying off the loan early. Her first car was a 1951 Ford that she proudly drove around town and to work.

For several decades, Aunt Wes and Aunt Oklis worked as a domestics in Shaker Heights and Gates Mills homes. Westova was highly sought after for her skills in dinner party planning and preparation. She cared for the families of which she was employed. Westova was a long time employee for families such as Lee and Peggy Fisher and Irwin and Barbara Feldman. After Oklis’ death in 2007, her employer’s, the Sherwin’s, looked after Westova. Their children (Martha, Michael John, and Judy) stayed in close contact with her and she talked with their cousin Elizabeth (Betsy) Kidd quite often.

Francis Carter as her closet friend and called her every day. But Westova's greatest pride was her adopted family, The McCurry’s. She loved and cherished Christine McCurry Harriston, Crystal McCurry, and Daniel McCurry. They brought her great joy and lots of love. Crystal was her caregiver and confidant.

Aunt Wes departed life on Monday, May 18, 2020. She missed her dear sister, Oklis dearly, and was looking forward to seeing all of her brothers and sisters as well as her parents in paradise. With great pride, we can say Westova Goins was the oldest living relative of the Goins Family. She leaves behind Barbara Jean Goins Jones (Charles Jones) Constance Jerri Jones, Rene Jones, and Charles Jr.; Carolyn Marie Goins (deceased), Cheryl Cousin Daniels, and Waverly Cousin III (deceased); Dr. Robert Franklin Draper, Jr.(Wanda Draper), Robert F Draper III, and Cheree Draper; Kay Draper Lenear, Thomas J. Rivers, and Dawn M. Rivers; Clyde Draper(deceased), Lynette Draper and Misty Draper; Arthur Lee Goins II, Lucinda Goins, and Anthony Goins; along with many more great nieces and nephews.

Public viewing will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Gaines Funeral Home, 9116 Union Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44105. Funeral will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2020 at 10:30 A.M. at the funeral home. Wake will be held at 10:00 A.M. Interment will be held on Monday, June 1, 2020 at 11:00 a.m., at Meadow Christian Church Cemetery, 1140 Meadowood Trail, Martinsville, VA 24112.

Arrangements Entrusted to Hairston Funeral Home, Martinsville, VA.