West was born as Dorothy Helen Hudson in Knox County, Missouri, as one of three daughters born to Pendleton Allen and Mary Susan (Rice) Hudson. She went on to become a teacher, a profession she would work in for over 40 years.
West married her husband, Glenn, and the couple had a son, the late Dr. Ronald West, who died in 1972. She was widowed in 1986; her two sisters, Roberta and Margaret, also predeceased her. In her later years, she was a member of various local organisations and societies.
West died in Clinton, Missouri on 30 January 2018 at the age of 110 years, 181 days.
On 29 August 2017, following the death of 110-year-old Lucille Hall, West became Missouri’s oldest resident. Upon her own death, the title passed to Naomi Frost, also aged 110.
West’s age was verified by Stefan Maglov and validated by LongeviQuest on 14 June 2024.