I sat and put in order the 100 pages of pension documentation for John West so that I could better assess what had taken place with his pension. Previously I had thought that he had only been able to get an $8.00 a month pension, but once the papers were in order I noticed that he did get an increase in 1898 to $17.00 per month. Previous to the $17.00 a month increase he had managed to get $12.00 per month in 1897.
Tenacious as the man seemed to be he filled again for another increase and was promptly rejected. Without the full packet it is hard to tell just yet what happened with his pension. The newest document in the pages sent to me is dated October 16, 1916 and is the cover to more paperwork that was not included. I know that John died in 1925 and I do not have a death date for his wife, Mary Bond West. Possibly the remaining pages will shed light on what happened to the family after 1916.