LAURA EATON ANDREWS

LAURA EATON , WAS BORN NEAR REDDING, RINGGOLD COUNTY, IOWA, OCTOBER 31, 1861 AND SPENT ALL OF HER EARLIER YEARS IN THE COUNTY. FOR A LONG TIME SHE WAS A TEACHER AND THE INFLUENCE OF HER LIFE IS FELT FOR UNTOLD GOOD BY THE MANY PUPILS WHO RECEIVED INSTRUCTION FROM HER. IN 1886 SHE WAS MARRIED TO DR. J. A. ANDREWS AND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THEY TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOLS IN REDDING. MRS. ANDREWS WAS IN THE MOUNT AYR SCHOOLS FOR THREE YEARS, 1892-94, SINCE WHICH TIME SHE HAS LIVED AT EUSTIS WHERE HER HUSBAND HAD LOCATED FOR THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.  WHILE IN MOUNT AYR MRS. ANDREWS BECAMED ENDEARED TO A LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS-“NONE KNEW THEE BUT TO LOVE THEE, NONE NAMED THEE BUT TO PRAISE.” THE INTERMENT WAS IN BLOCKTON, TAYLOR COUNTY, IOWA WHERE MRS. ANDREWS MOTHER AND MANY OF HER RELATIVES RESIDE. THE FUNERAL EXERCISES, HELD AT THE BLOCKTON BAPTIST CHURCH OF WHICH DENOMINATION MRS. ANDREWS WAS A MEMBER, WERE CONDUCTED BY THE REV. DR. MARTIN, PASTOR OF THE CHURCH. FOR THE SUBJECT OF HIS REMARKS HE TOOK A FAVORITE TEXT OF THE DECEASED–“IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU;” AND SPOKE COMFORTING WORDS TO THE SORROWING HUSBAND, MOTHER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS. FOR THREE YEARS MRS. ANDREWS HAD BEEN AN INVALID AND HAD UNDERGONE UNTOLD SUFFERING WITH A FORTITUDE AND HEROISM WHICH WERE TRULY WONDERFUL. ALWAYS REMARKABLE FOR HER ABILITY AND SELF CONTROL, TO THE VERY LAST SHE BROUGHT JOY TO THOSE AROUND HER. HER THOUGHTS WERE MORE FOR OTHERS THAN HERSELF. AS LONG AS SHE WAS ABLE SHE KEPT UP HER CORRESPONDENCE, WRITING FAREWELL LETTERS TO MANY OF HER FRIENDS AND WHEN THE HAND WHICH HAD MOVED AT THE IMPULSE OF SUCH A MIND AND HEART REFUSED TO WORK SHE STILL LEFT MESSAGES AND REMEMBERANCES FOR THOSE WHOM SHE LOVED.