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EP1: - 1 The Andrews-Morgan Family                                                                                                            EP1:- 2 The Venters-Peabody Family

Mom was everything ... and did all very well. She was wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, "Mrs. Clause," and artist. Her "touch" was passed down to brother Phil's artistic capabilities, then on to Bill with all his. Among many other things, she was a flower enthusiast - again passed down to many. Much of the orchid expertise in the Phil and Bill Andrews families can be traced to Mom. She taught as a substitute teacher throughout the Decatur Public School System and was well-known for her excellence. Mom was on a first-name basis with all the school executives. She taught handcrafts at the Decatur Department of Recreation and participated in the annual Santa Arrivals as Mrs. Clause (aka Merry Christmas). She was a student at Millikin and made many lifetime friends. Briefly she took formal training at the University of Wisconsin and was a watercolor artist. She did much leather crafting and received direct recognition from the Tandy Company for her work. She also did etched metal artistry work to produce unique trays and other metal objects. One of her special crafts was weaving baskets and coasters solely from pine needles she had collected. Another artist touch was "flower arrangements" of tiny flowers in small picture frames. In addition to all the other talents she had, Mom was a highly accomplished seamstress. And she did the toughest job of all ... raising a family, cooking, cleaning and keeping the peace. She was wonderful.

Dad was very much a self-taught and a self-made man. There was nothing he could not do ... and do well. He held many jobs in the pre-and post World War One timeframe. After the outbreak of WW II, he attempted to enlist in the US Marine Corps .... but was told to go home and take care of his family. Early in his career, Dad worked for Sears and Roebuck in Decatur and learned much about merchandising and pricing tricks. He was a Wabash steam locomotive fireman and later on a switchman (the winter winds were ferocious for someone coupling and uncoupling cars in the Wabash freight yards). Times were tough then ... but Dad had no complaints - Dad was a "doer," not a complainer.  The Wabash wage for switchmen was $12.00 PER DAY in 1950. Dad never grew tired of observing train operations and passed this trait to both of his sons. We grew up before TV was in every house and a big treat for us was to watch Wabash operations from a baggage cart at the depot or take a long trip to Clinton to watch the Illinois Central's Green Diamond go through. He sold real estate for Roby and Roby. He played the piano "by ear" and accompanied events at Roosevelt Junior High School. Teaching himself, he was an electrical design engineer at Macon Arms in Decatur for shell presses. He sold advertising items for The Vernon Company of Newton, Iowa. At home, Dad was an electrician, plumber and carpenter. He installed a kitchen in the 820 house, built a back porch, covered a dangerous cistern, installed a new bathroom upstairs and a shower in the basement, built and operated a model railroad (O-27 scale), and provided guidance and leadership as Dad to his family. Dad had a wonderful sense of humor and left many "sayings" for us to enjoy: examples. He was an avid reader, particularly of western history. He was on a "first name" basis with many real life western characters. Above all, Dad was immensely proud of his Family and enthusiastically supported their many accomplishments and events. Even on limited resources, Dad provided the Family with notable vacations to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dad was great!

Both Mom and Dad were Executive Vice Presidents Emeritus in the Stonefield Valley Railroad link.

EP1: - 3 "Sparkin" in Decatur	EP1: - 4 Dad could do and did many things - including a popcorn stand

EP1: - 5 Three brothers and wives: Mom and Dad, Paul and Lucille and Daisy and Evelyn: helping Paul and Lucille celebrate 50th anniversary 1978	EP1: - 6 Mom and Dad took the "Inland Passage" Cruise - max fun!
EP1: - 7 Mom and her goat - before they invented horsin' around	EP1: - 8 Dad was born in the second floor - later Bolay's Hobby Shop
EP1: - 8A Ida Morgan Andrews with Paul, Forrest (Dad) and Evelynn Nov 1905
EP1: - 9 Mom was an artist, among her other talents. Here's a watercolor: Lake Miltona done when Mom attended University of Wisconsin	EP1: - 10 Mom and Dad in the back yard of 820 in Decatur
EP1: - 11 Mom and Dad visit Marge and Phil in Hawaii	EP1: - 12 704 W. Grand with Grandma, Dad, EJ, Paul and Grandpa Andrews - across from Roosevelt Junior High School
EP1: - 13 Mom and Dad visit Utopia	EP1: - 14 Mother 'V', Neil and Mom at 820
EP1: - 15 Mom with sisters Irene and Lula - they made GREAT Christmas candy	EP1: - 16 Greater Petesboro Tool and Die is named for Dad
EP1: - 17 Dad at the coast - 1971	EP1: - 18 Dad and the "Andrews Pilgrim Salute" ... pointing: at Canyon Lake, Texas in a visit to Phil in Jan 1983
EP1: - 19 Dad in Lebanon, Oregon home front yard May 1983. Neighbor's home in background	EP1: - 20 Mom's water color artistry - done during art school at Madison, Wisconsin
EP1: - 21 Grandpa Andrews, Paul, EJ and Grandma Andrews	EP1: - 22 Grandma Andrews, Phil, Sally, Jim, Mom and Dad - 820 1946
EP1: - 23 Mom and Dad moving from Decatur to Lebanon, Oregon - the hard way: 1967	EP1: - 24 Dad and the steam switcher ... Dad did similar work on the Wabash

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