Vernal lived life to the fullest. He served God uncompromisingly and loved his wife and family without measure. Vernal was an amazing husband, father, friend, grandfather, great-grandfather, Pastor and Missionary.

Vernal grew up on a farm where he learned to work hard, milking cows, shoveling wheat and picking cotton. His family was dedicated members of the First Baptist Church in Reydon, Ok. Vernal accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior as a teenage and called to preach on Easter 1953.

Vernal attended Oklahoma Baptist University where he married the love of his life, Patsy Ingram on May 25, 1956. Upon graduation from OBU, he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

During his early years of ministry Vernal served as Pastor at Colbert Baptist Church, Coalgate First Baptist Church, and Prague First Baptist.

Vernal also served on the Board of Directors for the Baptist General Convention and was Chaplain of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for two terms.

In the early 1970's he and Patsy accepted God's call to become missionaries and moved to Kenya, East Africa. As missionaries, he and Patsy worked with numerous churches in the bush and started Parkland Baptist Church, one of the largest churches today, in Nairobi with over 6,000 attendees.

After returning from the mission field, Vernal worked for the family business, Motor Sales, and served as Pastor for First Baptist Church Atwood and Holdenville Immanuel Church.

In 1992, Vernal and Patsy heard God's calling again, and joined a group of eighteen individuals to establish and Pastor Grace Christian Fellowship, in Ada. Upon retiring from Grace, he continued to serve as Pastor Emeritus.

Vernal's hobbies were target shooting, photography and flying – he held both a private pilot's license and commercial pilot's license.

Vernal was born July 19, 1934 in Roger Mills County near Strong City, Oklahoma. His parents were Ernest and Estalela (Kenmore) West.

Vernal was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Estalela West, and sister Charlotte White. He is survived by his wife Patsy West; oldest son Robert and wife Peggy; son Greg and wife Heidi; grand-daughter Jennifer (West) Cody, her husband Justin, and their children Shiloh and Silas; grandsons Jacob West and Johannes West; grand-daughters Sabine and Katherine West, and many other family members and countless friends.

A memorial service will be December 21, 11:00 am at Grace Christian Fellowship in Ada.