On Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at approximately 10:15 a.m., the Lord called the name of Joretta Cochran Westfall, daughter of Charles Ross “Jimmy” and Lutie Phillips Cochran. Joretta was born January 6, 1931, and lived most of her life in the Hartland Section of Clarksburg on Milford Street and Liberty Avenue. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family, and passed away following lengthy and numerous battles with cancer beginning in 1977 until the time of her death. Never did she say “Why me, Lord?”
Joretta is survived by her husband, Harold Donald Westfall, the love of her life. They were neighbors growing up and attended school together from sixth grade through high school. They were united in marriage by Reverend Fred Oxendale at the Stealey Methodist Church on September 2, 1950, and celebrated 64 wonderful years together.
She is survived by their daughter, Cynthia Westfall Springston and her husband James N, Havelock, NC, who was the sunshine of her life, two very special grandchildren, Christopher Stephen Gill and his wife Renea, New York City, NY, and Amanda Dawn Holman and her husband Justin, Havelock, NC, as well as great-grandchildren, Nathan Springston and Katelyn Holman, Havelock, NC, and Samantha Gill and Eli Gill, New York City, NY. Also surviving is a sister-in-law Joanne Simpson Tetrick and her husband Richard, Bridgeport, and a brother-in-law, Claude Z. Westfall of Orono, Maine. Several nieces and nephews also survived, including Kimberly Simpson, Bethesda, MD, Tracy LaBenne, Clarksburg, Scott Westfall of Blue Hill, Maine, Stuart Westfall, Passadumkeag, Maine, Mary Frances Haymond, Julia Glaspell, Barbara Smith, Robin Lane, and Mark Smith, all of Elkins. Joretta also leaves behind several special friends whose names have not been listed for fear of inadvertently missing someone, but you know who you are.
In addition to her parents, Joretta was preceded in death by their beloved son, Jeffrey Lynn Westfall, of Wilmington, NC and Clarksburg; her only sibling Wilma Cochran Smith and husband Robert L. and a niece Debra Smith and nephew Samuel James Smith, all of Elkins, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Harold Robert and Fairie “Mimi” Westfall, Clarksburg, a brother-in-law Donald F. Simpson, Bridgeport, nephew Gregg Westfall Simpson, Herndon, VA, and a sister-in-law Rosemae Zell Westfall, Orono, Maine.
Joretta graduated from Washington-Irving High School with the Class of 1948 where she studied commercial subjects. She enrolled at Fairmont State College in the Fall of 1948 and studied in the advanced secretarial classes. After completing one year, she was hired by Union National Bank of Clarksburg and worked in both the Safe Deposit and Trust Departments until December 1951 when she left to be with Don while he served in the US Army. She was employed as a secretary at the US Army Hospital, Ft. Benning, Georgia, in the offices of the American Red Cross, leaving there to return to Clarksburg following Don’s discharge. Union Bank hired her back immediately and she worked part-time in various areas and full-time in the Trust Department. In May 1971, she left there for employment at Lowndes Bank of Clarksburg as Executive Secretary to the President, a position she maintained for sixteen years prior to early retirement.
Joretta has been a member of Clarksburg Baptist Church since her early teens, helping with the children’s choir and Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, the Finance Board, and American Baptist Women’s Ministries, serving as secretary and treasurer for several years.
In 1964, Joretta and Don took classes in western-style square dancing and were members of the Centennial Squares of Clarksburg and also the Y-Squares of Fairmont, an activity which lasted until 1998. It was without a doubt the most fun of anything they did, and they traveled to clubs in other states to dance. She also loved to read, sew and knit. Many of her baby afghans and children’s sweaters were sent worldwide. The project she enjoyed the most was Christmas in a Shoebox with Rev. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse. She purchased items throughout the year and the boxes were sent to children in third-world countries at Christmastime. Packing the boxes for children of ages 2 to 14 was one of the joys she enjoyed prior to the holidays and always wished she could be there to see their precious faces when they opened their boxes.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to The Lord’s Food Pantry, Clarksburg Baptist Church, P.O. Box 327, Clarksburg, WV 26302-0327; The Clarksburg Mission, P.O. Box 1123, Clarksburg, WV 26302-1123; Peoples Hospice, 327 Medical Park Drive, Bridgeport, WV 26330; the American Cancer Association, or a charity of your choice.

Friends will be received at Burnside Funeral Home, 607 S. Virginia Avenue, Bridgeport, on Friday from 1-5 and 6-8 p.m., where services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2015, with Reverend David Hulme and Reverend James N. Springston presiding. Interment will follow in Bridgeport Cemetery.