Lylia B. Andrews' Obituary
Lylia B. Andrews, aged 89, passed away peacefully in her rural Charleston home, surrounded by the woods she held dear, on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. A visitation in her memory will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at Adams Funeral Chapel in Charleston. The family kindly requests that, instead of flowers, donations be made in her honor to a charity of the donor's choice or to the memorial culinary arts scholarship established in honor of her beloved grandson, STLCC-Foundation c/o Alexander Marley Memorial Fund, 3221 McKelvey Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044.
Lylia was born on August 8, 1934, near Oakdale, Nebraska, the daughter of the late Bjor H. "Bill" and Judith Ruth Marie (Nilson) Almstrum. She exchanged vows with Richard "Dick" D. Andrews in Oakdale, Nebraska, on June 5, 1955. Lylia dedicated herself to caring for her family as a devoted stay-at-home mother and volunteer, actively participating in her daughters' pursuits. As her daughters entered middle school, she resumed her career, working for the RSVP program in Charleston, at the Montgomery Ward catalog center, as an EKG technician at Charleston Hospital, and at the Eastern Illinois University textbook library. Lylia and Dick generously gave their time to Meals on Wheels, and Lylia also volunteered with the Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital Volunteer Guild, crafting numerous blankets annually for the nursery and patients. She also earned recognition from the Covered Bridge Girl Scout Council with the Adult Thanks Badge for her many years of service.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughters Kathleen (Richard) Andrews Wright (Springfield), Pamella (Mike) Andrews Waddell (Charleston), and Cynthia (William) Andrews Ruhlman (St. Charles, MO); grandchildren Margaret (Jeremy) Rother, Miranda Waddell, and Brandon (Amanda) Waddell; great-grandchildren George, Vivien, and Xander Rother, Bailey, Mia, and Jase Upton, and Clara and Elise Waddell; and several nieces and nephews. Lylia was preceded in death by her parents; husband; two sisters, Alma Ruf and Lillian Almstrum; brother, Billy H. Almstrum; and her beloved grandson, Alexander Marley.
To read the full obituary, offer condolences, light a candle, or share photos, please visit www.adamsfuneralchapel.com. Adams Funeral Chapel of Charleston, IL, is entrusted with the arrangements.
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