ASHLEE WEST

ASHLEE WEST

Ashlee West, a beautiful soul who was loved by everyone who cared and watched over her, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2019, two days following her 14^th birthday.

Ashlee Nicole Elizabeth was born March 10, 2005, in Aberdeen, Washington. By the age of 3 she resided in North Dakota. She lived most of her life in Grand Forks where she attended school. She was cared for by direct-support professionals, case and residential managers, as well as a great many others every day in her group home, Development Homes, Inc. She moved to Cooperstown in April 2018. Where she spent the last year of her life attending school and being cared for by the CNAs, social workers, staff, doctors, nurses and hospice staff at her nursing facility, Griggs County Care Center.

Every person who cared for Ashlee instantly felt a connection to her. She was a beautiful girl with thick, dark hair and long, black eyelashes, that everyone was immediately jealous of. In her 14 years of life, Ashlee was able to take part in a Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World in 2012 and was baptized in 2015. She was a member of the Dakota Horizons Girl Scouts, participated in Riding on Angels Wings, volunteered for the Circle of Friends Humane Society in Grand Forks, and participated in many more community activities and events.

Ashlee was a treasure to all those who knew her. Many people wanted to take her home with them and care for her. Perhaps the reason why this never came to pass during her lifetime was because God felt she had many more lives to touch and impact. Ashlee will forever be in our thoughts, memories, and the way we show unconditional love to someone who is not related by blood but related by matters of the heart.

Wherever Ashlee went she created a family of mothers, grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers. This was Ashlee’s greatest gift, instilling love, friendship, and familial bonds. For these gifts, Ashlee will forever be unforgettable.

A Memorial Service will be, Thursday, March 21^st at 5:30pm in the Cornerstone Community Church in Cooperstown ND. Pastor Steve Scott will officiate, and a light dinner will be served following the service.