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Esther Peabody Venters Andrews - by James R. Andrews, Son

The quality I remember most and best about Mom, Esther Peabody Venters Andrews, was her creativity and artistry so frequently evidenced with her hand crafts. She could make something nice from nothing but scraps and pieces. Her artistic talents were passed on to my brother, Philip, and, in turn, to his son, William Meredith Andrews, as well as to my sister, Sally Neely. However, I completely missed the boat. Esther has clearly left her wonderful legacy as continuing artwork and hand crafts.

Examples of her work ranged from water colors, to leather work, etched aluminum, dried flowers, crocheting and weaving. She was also a very accomplished seamstress, making clothes for herself, Dad, and we three children. I still have a picture of me in my "sailor suit" taken in the back yard of 820 W. Grand in Decatur. The time was WW II. I am particularly fond of her dried flower arrangements in small frames. Items like these sell for many dollars [countless thousands in the southern states]. Anne and I proudly display a woven tray Mom made solely from pine needles. It's spectacular - and very unique.

When I was growing up, Mom was the hand craft person at the Department of Parks and Recreation in Decatur. In addition to teaching crafts, she was frequently "Merry Christmas," Santa's wife, when the Old Man came to Decatur - on the WABASH of course. Typically, the WABASH Banner Blue or Blue Bird would make an unscheduled stop at the end of William Street, just across the tracks from Millikin, for Santa [sans elves and reindeer] to depart with a big parade for Central Park in downtown. It was about that time in my life when I "broke the Santa code." When Monroe Park opened on North Monroe Street, not far from the hospital, Mom was the first park guru.

Mom always harbored hopes that I would follow brother Phil into a medical career. Her pride in Phil's accomplishments was limitless. He was a very hard act to follow, particularly for me. Everything Phil touched turned to gold. Everything I touched turned to mush.  I  did make a half hearted effort at "pre-med" at Millikin University. I could, when absolutely necessary, excel academically, but the other opportunities available [e.g., fraternity pranks, drinking, chasing around etc.] just took precedence over the books. My marginal college career came to a screeching halt in 1961 when, as a second semester senior, I didn't make my grades. Flunk out city! Mom was something less than totally pleased.

Enter the Navy. I contacted Uncle Sam about the Navy flight training program. Being close enough to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, I qualified and headed for Pensacola. Mom was certain all of my marbles had been lost. But when all was accomplished and the Navy wings pinned on in July 1963 at Chase Field in Beeville, Texas, she realized that I had chosen a suitable career path for myself. Thereafter, she only partially questioned my sanity.

Mom was very close to her mother, Lucy Peabody Venters [aka Mother V]. The Peabody clan came from Stonington, Connecticut, of "stern" English stock. Although Mom did have a sense of humor, unbridled humor was not her strongest suit.

In April 1981, I was embarked in USS Ranger with CTF-70/77, at anchor in Hong Kong harbor. I was received a message from the Red Cross notifying me that Mom had died. I flew back to the Philippines, then on to Travis AFB in Sacramento, California. After a drive up from Travis, I arrived just before Mom's funeral. I remember that like it was yesterday. I love you, Mom.

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