Frances Andrews

Frances Andrews passed away on June 7, 2012 in her apartment at Green Country. She was surrounded by her loving caregivers and friends. Frances Elizabeth Townsend Andrews was born on March 20, 1915 in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, eldest of the three children of the late Frank Edgar and Elizabeth (Bessie Moore Baker) Townsend. She was baptized in Springfield, IL, attended schools in Hayden, AZ, Kansas City, KS and graduated with honors from Bartlesville High School in 1932. She had moved to Bartlesville with her family in 1928 when National Zinc Company transferred 75 families here from Kansas City, KS. She received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 1936, having taken her freshman year of college at Bartlesville Junior College. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic society and to Theta Sigma Phi, a women's journalism honorary organization. She was employed by the Anadarko OK Daily News in June 1936 immediately after graduation, as society editor and general news reporter until coming to the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise in November 1937 in similar capacities. From August 1941 until February 1942, she was employed as a secretary in the Economics Department of Phillips Petroleum Co. in Bartlesville. Mrs. Andrews joined the society department of The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City in February 1942 and became its society editor in November that year, continuing until December 1945, when she became secretary to Dr. Harry Wilkins and Dr. Jess Herrman, neurological surgeons, in Oklahoma City. She lived in Indianapolis, IN where she worked for Phillips Petroleum Company and for Mutual of Omaha insurance office; and in Tucson, AZ where she was secretary for Dr. Clarence Robbins and his partners. She returned to Bartlesville and was employed by the Research and Development Department of Phillips Petroleum Company from 1953 until her retirement in 1980. She was secretary for many years to the late James A. Reid, Director of Research, until his retirement, after which she was Emil Malick's secretary. She married Anthony S. Andrews on October 26, 1979. Frances was a member of the First United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women and the latter's Lois Skavlen circle, of which she had served as chair and co-chair. She belonged to the Antique Study Club, Wednesday Bridge Club, Senior Advantage Bridge Club, Bartlesville Genealogical Society, YWCA, the Democratic party and the American Civil Liberties Union. She held life memberships in the University of Oklahoma Alumni Association; the Washington County Historical Society, having won a contest to name its newsletter, Millstream; and the Jane Phillips Society. She was a member of the Townsend Society of America. For many years, she was a volunteer with the MUTUAL Girls Club's thrift shop, the Tuesday House and she had served on the MUTUAL board of directors. She formerly served as publicity chairman on the boards of both the YWCA and Community Concerts. Mrs. Andrews had traveled widely on all the continents and had made seven trips to Greece with her husband. One of her hobbies was studying antiques, especially pottery and silver plated flatware. She had more than 100 pieces of such flatware whose patterns had been issued 100 or more years ago. She had articles published in Antique Week, Silver, Antiques & Collecting Hobbies, Antiques & Auction News, American Clay Exchange, Sesquipedalian, Genealogical Helper and the Newsletters of the Washington County Historical Society and the Bartlesville Genealogical Society. As her Bicentennial project, she issued a Townsend family history, "Some Descendants of Nathaniel C. Townsend and Sarah H. Austin of Nelson County, Virginia." She is survived by her brother, Richard Warren Townsend of Prescott, AZ. She leaves four nieces and nephews, Paul McCormick, Olympia, WA; Jean Phillips McCormick Shrader, Redmond, WA; Kay Louise McCormick, Phoenix, AZ; and Rex Roger Townsend, Prescott, AZ . Also surviving, are two cousins, Charlotte Harris Jessen, Onekama, MI and Arthur Rigg of Houston, TX. In addition she leaves step-sons, Donald P. Andrews, Monte Sereno, CA; Alan D. Andrews, Redding, CT and Steven R. Andrews, Irvine, CA; also grand nephew and grand nieces plus many dear friends and caregivers. She was predeceased by her husband, Anthony Andrews, her parents, her sister, Marion McCormick, and cousins. Donations may be made to the Bartlesville Public Library or the Mutual Girls' Club.

Service Details

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 10:00am, Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville

Interment Details

Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville