Sunday, February 28, 2016

This Day in my Family History: Glenn D. Andrews

Glenn Daniel Andrews
1911-2000


My grandpa, or "Papaw", was born in May 1911 in Abingdon, Illinois. His name was Glenn Daniel Andrews, "Glenn D." or "Shorty" - named after his father and grandfather, as I would come to discover. He was on my mind today, as he passed away on this day in 2000. I was 14 when he died. Just two years later was when I first started researching my family history, so I never got to ask him about his family. My grandma, his wife, didn't know much about them, and he didn't really have any photos from his younger years. Or so I thought.

We were doing some spring cleaning today, and my husband pulled out an old, sealed envelope addressed to my grandparents from the 1960s or 70s. Sealed? I eyed my husband and opened it up. Inside was a letter from my grandpa's sister, Louise Andrews Dunlap, and with it were photos of my grandpa and his family.

I'm still trying to pick up my jaw off the floor. I have never in my life seen a childhood photo of my grandpa, until today, sixteen years to the day after he died. In addition were photos of Louise, their other sister, Ruth, and their mother Helen Lucky Andrews - someone else I have never seen a photo of. Excuse me while I freak out. These pictures have been right under my nose all these years, and I didn't know it until today. That's the thing about researching your family history, isn't it - even after doing it for years and years, there is always more to find.

Here are the pictures:

(Probably) Ruth & their mother, Helen Lucky Andrews, 1938

 
 
My grandpa

And my favorite:
Louise (left) & Glenn (right)

 

Never stop searching. You never know what you'll find.