West Family Tree

"Grandpa Highpockets." Logically called so because he was tall and wore his pants high up and thus his pockets were hard for little grandchildren to reach. He lived with my mother's parents for a while, so she knew him until he died, when she was about 12 or so, when he broke his hip and later died in the hospital. He was also the one from whom my grandparents were able to find out a lot of Duncan family history. He was the oldest of 12 children I believe, and also lived the longest (92 when he died). His father died when he was 17 and he was the "man of the house" for a while and cared for his mother and siblings. -Logan West

"I eat when I'm Hungry,
I drink when I'm Dry,
And if the Indians don't kill me,
I'll Live till I die!" - Poem by Grandpa Highpockets

Over the years, “Duncan Acres” became one of the well known ranches in the area.  Late in the 40’s & early 50’s, Hank bought an airplane, put in an air strip and belong to the Turlock Flying Club.  They eventually put in a swimming pool that stretched all the way across the front of the house and David became a really strong swimmer, going all the way across that pool in about 2 or 3 strokes.  They put in a milker’s house next to the milking barn and drove a Lincoln Continental.  They enjoyed the friendship of many neighbors and would
host huge barbeques at their place.

Rebecca believes they were there on the ranch for about 30 years.  In the early 50’s Hank & Rebecca adopted a little blond-headed boy by the name of Alan.  They were trying to hold their married together at the time. However, Hank & Rebecca did divorce in the mid 50’s, with Hank signing the ranch over to Rebecca and went on with his life. Later he married Edna Eklund from Hilmar, California.  Before the marriage to Edna, he bought 7 acres in Hilmar and built a wonderful small rancho called “El Rancho Chico”.  As you drove into an enclosed yard, the main house was on the West side, a small studio house where Grandpa Highpocket’s lived was on the East side, on the North side, circled around was his garage & barbeque/patio area.  On the South, adjacent to Grandpa Highpocket’s house, there was a Woo-tel for the kid’s pony named patches with tack room & all.  Across the back of the house, there was pasture land where he raised goats.  Once or twice a year, he would open up the whole garage and barbeque patio area once again and invite all the neighbors over for a huge goat barbeque.  A lot of visiting and music was always in the air. - From the memories of Rebecca Lowrey Woolliscroft, from Arlene Teller Duncan

(Grandpa Highpockets knew both of Elizabeth Sproul's sons, Hade &
Thomas Bowler as Uncles. They were raised by Ashley & Elizabeth
(Sproul) Duncan along with their own children; per Rush Duncan) -Arlene Teller Duncan

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