Ethel Andrews

Ethel Eleanor Grey Andrews was born December 2, 1914 in Sunrise MN to Ruth Warner Grey and Arthur Grey. She was the second of nine children. During part of her childhood she was also raised by her paternal grandparents, Betsy and Burdett Grey who lived across the street. She attended grade school in Sunrise and High School in North Branch, MN graduating in 1931 as Valedictorian at the age of 16. She claims that she passed the test to get into High School at the age of 11 but her parents refused to let her board out in North Branch at that age. She says this wasted a whole year of her life since they did not let her start until she was 12. After high school she spent one year in post secondary school in Cambridge MN in order to be certified as a teacher for rural schools.

She taught in one room schools in Chisago County from the age of 17 until she married Lawrence Andrews on July 10th 1937. Together they lived on the family farm north of Shafer until shortly before Lawrence's death in 2000. After her children were past elementary school age, she worked at a variety of jobs including restaurant work and nurses aide work. Initially, Lawrence did not appreciate her working outside the home. Her last years were spent at Parmly in Chisago City in their assisted living units. Ethel attended the Sunrise Bible Church during her youth and joined the First United Methodist Church of Lindstrom shortly after marrying Lawrence in 1937. At the time of her death she had been a member for 75 years. She was active in the Lady's Aid (later to be the United Methodist Women) and has held many offices in this organization since the 1940s. She was also in a church social group which went by various names, starting with “Young Adults Group” and ending with the name “Modern Mature Methodists”.

She had many close friends in her church and neighborhood. Ethel was an avid reader and loved to travel with Lawrence. Together they went as far west as Hawaii, as far east as Europe, south into Central America and as far north as Point Barrow Alaska. She was determined to learn Spanish but probably ended up only marginally proficient at it. She had many friends, loved to cook, entertain and visit. They opened their home to people from New Zealand and Sweden. Ethel was an active volunteer in Chisago County. She was a 4-H leader of the Palmdale Livewires, active in County activities, delivered Meals on Wheels with Lawrence and did hospice volunteer work to name a few of her activities.

She would cook constantly, giving bread and other baked goods to friends, neighbors and shut-ins that she would visit with baked treats. Each year she would crochet bags of hats and mittens for her church to donate to the needy at Christmas. In 1993 she was named Senior Citizen of the Year in Chisago County and honored at the county fair. The one thing she never took a liking to was cleaning or tidying up her house. At one point she had an entire wall of her bedroom stacked with yarn. Ethel was intelligent, self confident, articulate and opinionated but also very loving and giving of her time, talents and money. Even during her time in the memory care units at Parmly, the staff remarked that she had wonderful “spunk.” Ethel and Lawrence raised three boys; James, Jerril and Joel. She always said that she wanted a girl but never succeeded in that.

Ethel died April 12, 2014 at the age of 99. She was preceded in death by her parents Ruth Warner Grey and Arthur Grey; husband Lawrence; sisters Adeline Hazel, Beth Clavadetcher, Laurel Reed; brothers, James, Merrill, Wayne and Paul Grey and grandson Eric Andrews. She is survived by children James (Fay) of Shafer, Jerril (Nancy) of Shafer and Joel (Maria) of North Branch; grandchildren John Andrews (Wyoming), Scott Andrews (South St. Paul) and Amy Andrews Horihan (Brian) of La Crosse WI and sister Alice Porath (Ham Lake) and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Funeral Services Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at First United Methodist Church in Lindstrom with interment at Fairview Cemetery in Lindstrom. Arrangements by the Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom. Condolences may be left online at www.grandstrandfh.com