Andrews – Charles Richard Andrews passed away peacefully in the presence of family and his loving wife, Martha, in Medicine Hat on August 24th 2006 at the age of 85 years. Born on the Andrews homestead at Badger Lake Alberta on February 23rd, 1921. His parents had moved to Alberta from their home state of Iowa by way of North Dakota in 1910 to take up land. Charles and his brother Irwin started the irrigated farm in Bow City in 1937 that was to be Charles’ home for most of the next seventy years. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during W.W. II, trained as a tail gunner and returned to Bow City at the end of the war. In 1947, he married Martha Bicknell who had come to Brooks to work in the Royal Bank from Empress, Alberta. Charles worked in the coal mine and had a trucking business that helped support the farm in those years. They had four children and continued to farm at Bow City until 1960 when Charles was recruited to work for the Veteran’s Land Act Administration and later the Farm Credit Corporation in Medicine Hat and in Edmonton. He was promoted to District Supervisor for the area East of Edmonton to the Saskatchewan border in 1966. The family moved back to the Bow City farm in 1968 where they have prospered since, largely due to Charles’ vision and innovative approach to agriculture. He served his community well over the years including many years as a County Councilor and several terms as a Director on the Alberta Pork Producers Marketing Board. He always had a particular affection for his friends and neighbors in the Bow City and Lomond areas. Charles and Martha moved to a condominium in Medicine Hat in May, 2006 where they found their own “heaven on earth”. Charles continued to take great joy from life and his family right up to his passing. He was predeceased by his parents, C.W. and Vera Araminta Andrews, four sisters, Dorothy (Frank) Kennedy, Lola Mae (Stead) Hooper, Margaret (Noel) Butlin and Vera Andrews, and one brother Irwin (Lillian) Andrews. Charles also leaves to cherish his memory two daughters, Gwen (Paul) Vickers of Brooks and Colleen Andrews of Sherwood Park and two sons, Bill Andrews of Strathmore and David (Cheryl) Andrews of Bow City, seven grandchildren, Ryan (Shannon) Andrews of Bow City and their three children, Amy (Glenn) Christiansen of Olds and their two children, Clark Andrews and Janelle Andrews of Strathmore, Chris Riley of Medicine Hat and Nathan (Heather) Riley and their daughter of Medicine Hat. Also Paul Vickers’ children Jason (Sara) Vickers and their twin daughters, Faith and Claire, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Jeremy Vickers (Susan) of Calgary and Jeff (Sheryl) Vickers of Red Deer. Charles took special joy in his great grandchildren, Logan, Megan and Joshua Andrews of Bow City, Grace and Connor Christiansen of Olds, Kate Ohama/Riley of Medicine Hat. He also leaves two sisters, Edith Gulland of Victoria and Ruby Whitting of Burnaby as well as one brother, Doug (Audrey) Andrews of Calgary and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will take place at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 31st from the Bow City Park and Hall in Bow City. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, 1331 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 9Z9 would be gratefully accepted. Arrangements in care of SMITH FUNERAL HOME. Telephone 362-4636 or Toll Free (866) 362-4652.
