Mom was born April 11, 1934 in Winder, GA to the late Florida Mae Jackson and Diamond Edwards.
She departed this life and ascended into Heaven on February 14, 2020. She was 85 years old.
Mom found Christ at an early age and learned the persuasive power of nuns through the Catholic church. She attended Dyer Intermediate school.
She met her husband, the late William Andrews, Jr. while suffering with tuberculosis at the Dunham Hospital. He was on leave from the U.S. Army during the Korean War Conflict and would visit his ill sister there. She often shared that the first time she saw him he was wearing his dress uniform, and she knew he was going to be her husband.
Mom worked for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for many years creating lifelong friendships with Julie, Dog, Debbie, Wanda and so many others. Mom was viewed by many of her coworkers and super-visors as compassionate and supportive, eventually taking on a management role, before retiring in the late nineties/early two thousands.
Mom enjoyed good music (Sam Cooke being her favorite) and she would often throw last minute get-togethers at her home in Bond Hill. She also enjoyed old movies, crime shows and being near the water’s edge. She visited Maui, Hawaii on more than one occasion and marveled at the Pacific Ocean’s powerful presence, mentioning how it seemed to possess the ability to put you in a trance.
A single mother/teacher most of her 85 years, she leaned on family for help early in her young life. She spoke to her children, grandchildren and anyone that would listen about wisdom, responsibility, honor and respect without uttering those specific words. In wisdom she spoke of being smart in your decision making, “think before you act” she would often say. With responsibility she taught “make your bed hard, you gotta lay in it”, in honor, her words were “don’t matter where you come from or what you have, always walk tall with your head held high, act like you are supposed to be there. In respect she preached, “right is right and right don’t wrong nobody”. Mom wanted us to know that life was meant to be enjoyed, yet also reminded us that life could be tough, “if you knew what was outside at night, you wouldn’t stick your head out the door” she would say, and up a creek without a paddle was her way of describing hard times. We all heard the message and the Lord knows she saw her share of hard times, but Mom remained strong and beautiful throughout it all.
Even when death was eminent, mom was still teaching without uttering a word. In her final hours when asked by her son how she was feeling, she politely held up her hand, “I feel with my hands”.
“Ever the teacher, goodnight mom, we love you, we will miss you for all eternity.”
Mom leaves to cherish her memory: her children, Shirley Johnson, Tamara Jett (Eric), Michael Andrews (Brenda), Scott Andrews (Sonya) and Charles Andrews; grandchildren, Bruce, Tammi, Sheryl, Kenya, Christopher, Eric Jackson, Eric Jett, Erica, Cameron, Cory, Teonia, Michael, Keisha, Mark, Brittany, Tear’ius, Courtney, Charles, Chaquelle, Ma’Lakkah, Royal, Drew, Alayna, Bryan and Tai’mar. She also leaves many great-grandchildren, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by daughters, Robin, Carolyn and Barbara; by sons, Mark and Bruce; and her sister, Corine Hill. Mom will be sorely missed on earth, but welcomed with open arms in Heaven.
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