Ike West House
One of the most colorful chapters in King William lore is the story of Sandra West. This home was owned by Ike West who made his fortune the traditional Texas way, through cattle and oil. West had two sons, Sol and Ike. Sandra met Sol first and dated him steadily until he introduced her to his brother Ike. Several days after meeting, she and Ike flew to Vegas and married.
Eccentric is the word to describe Sandra. She would order a 40-cent cup of coffee and leave a 20-dollar tip. She loved making a grand entrance. Once, she dressed up in 2 hundred thousand dollars’ worth of jewels and a mink coat and hired a chauffeur to drive her to a fashionable restaurant. Upon her arrival, she ordered a hamburger to go.
Sandra had earlier been involved in a car wreck and her health went downhill until she died at 37. Her husband had died young as well, so she designated her brother-in-law, Sol, to be the primary beneficiary of her estate. Sandra’s final request was to be buried next to her husband, in her blue Ferrari, in a lace nightgown, with the seat slanted comfortably back. Sol was instructed that if he followed the will, he would inherit 2 million dollars but if he ignored her wishes, he would only receive 10 thousand dollars
Sandra’s wishes were carried out. The car and Mrs. West were put in a large plywood box, which was hauled to the grave site on a flatbed truck and lowered into the ground by a crane. Following the burial, a concrete mixing truck that had been standing by poured concrete over and around the box. In an interview, Sandra’s housekeeper said that she was fascinated with Egyptian history and believed that she got the idea for her burial plans from the ancient Egyptian customs of being buried with their possessions.” The current value is estimated at 1.5 million dollars.
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