Hello to all, I am wondering if someone can answer my question. Does anyone know what the phrase: {the father having already "gone west"} means? It is in a newspaper clipping from 1923 in the OK. AREA, I think. No name of newspaper on the clipping. The article being about my Grandmothers death & someone trying to get the children put into an orphanage. As the article was not very well written (with words missing & misspelled) along with other typos, the entire article is pretty much unclear in its meaning of what happened to whom & the where & when & why of the entire situation. Does the phrase mean that maybe my grandfather had left the area, leaving the family behind for some reason or that he had already died? {Gone West?} He obviously used several completely different names from Given to Middle to Surname. At least: As best I can tell from the documents & other information that I have gathered over many years, he did. Thinking MAYBE my Grandmother did the same. No luck with requests for Birth or Death Certificates or Location of Burial on either one of them. The children's Social Security Applications, Death Certificates & Delayed Birth Certificates that I have been able to obtain, ALL give conflicting information, including Places of Births for ALL concerned. Right now, I just need to know what that phrase meant back then, so that I can continue with my research-maybe from another angle? Any input would be truly & gratefully appreciated. Thank You from, "Living with Most Probably an Incorrect Surname"