Bernice Marie Andrews

The Lord extended His hand to welcome a quiet, gentle woman who answered His call. Bernice Marie Niehaus Andrews, age 93, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, Saturday August 15, 2020. Funeral Mass will take place Friday, August 21, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will take place Thursday, August 20, 2020 from 4-6:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. The family is requesting that masks be worn for the visitation and the funeral with social distancing encouraged. To watch the live stream of the funeral, please click the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89145859560. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to the St. Mary's School Foundation at 312 Seneca St. Storm Lake, Iowa 50588. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Born on December 30, 1926, in Carroll County, Iowa, Bernice was the firstborn daughter of Marie (Reicks) Niehaus and Aloyious ‘Louis’ Niehaus. Two brothers and four sisters joined the family in the years that followed. Bernie’s Catholic education began with grade school in Maple River, Iowa. She celebrated her high school graduation from St. Angela’s Academy, in Carroll, Iowa. Her early employment included working as a receptionist in Dr. Ferlic’s Medical Clinic where her duties included cleaning the office and often babysitting with his children. By the end of WWII, Bernie was working in the Retameier Drug Store. It was here that a very special friendship began with her future husband, Wayne, as he returned stateside and decided to drop by the drug store to thank Bernie for her friendly letters during his overseas duty. Bernice Niehaus and Wayne Andrews were married on September 15, 1947, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Carroll, Iowa. Bernie began working as a cashier for Montgomery Wards at a time when Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer was first introduced. Wayne continued to hone his auto body repair skills at McCoy Motors. In 1951, a better job opportunity for Wayne brought the young couple and their first of five daughters to Storm Lake. Bernie embraced being a stay at home mom raising five daughters, expertly sewing dresses for every occasion including proms and weddings, and instilling values of being faith filled, kind and thoughtful, resourceful and generous. Being raised in a musically talented family, Bernie valued music education for her daughters. As a young girl, Bernie played the cello. She surprised her daughters one Christmas by picking up a grandchild’s new harmonica and serenading the family. Serving as a Girl Scout leader, preparing her scouts for the Marion Award, was an especially rewarding experience. Bernie practiced her artistry by hand tooling leather, painting ceramics, and fashioning her own clothing. These skills became valuable as her five daughters joined activities at St. Mary’s School. Bernie participated in sewing countless costumes for the school’s musical recitals and theater extravaganzas over the 30 plus years that the five Andrews girls danced, sang, acted, marched, and vaulted down the halls of St. Mary’s. Bernie enjoyed the opportunity to exercise her passion for accounting and her organizational skills again when she partnered with her husband and became the bookkeeper for their business, Andrews Body Shop. Always willing to lend a hand, Bernie volunteered to help in the BVRMC Business Office. Still thinking that she was a volunteer, Bernie was very surprised when her boss suggested that they have a conversation about her salary. That conversation began Bernie’s 12 years of employment as the BVRMC Business Office Manager. Working with the community for the benefit of others was an essential activity in the Andrews’ daily life. An active member of St. Mary’s Parish and School, Bernie participated as a Lay Director, Guild President, CDA President, Eucharistic Minister, Good Samaritan Group, Choir member and Cantor. Many years of volunteering her time and her talents with the SOS (Support Our Schools) Thrift Store, BVRMC Hospital Auxiliary, the Girl Scouts, President of the Library Board, and Meals on Wheels enriched Bernie’s life with a fulfilling relationship with her community and created many strong friendships. In 2013, Bernie and her husband Wayne received the Senior Volunteer of the Year Award presented by CommUNITY Education. Preceding her in death include her parents, Marie and Louis Niehaus, her brothers, Donald and Merle, infant sister, Mary, in-laws, Otis and Rosella (Shea) Andrews, Dorothy (Andrews) and Max Schumacher, Otis Robert Jr. ‘Bob’ and Helena ‘Sanny’ (Santillan) Andrews, and a step great granddaughter, Stephanie Santor. Left to cherish her memory include her husband, Wayne Andrews, daughters Barbara (Jerry) Rathke of Homer Glen IL, Jane (Gus) Erickson of Bellevue NE, Mary Beth (Mick) Polich, of Storm Lake IA, Patricia (Joe) Zielinski of Prescott, AZ, Amy (Dan) Hurley of Denver CO, 8 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, 3 sisters, Rosemarie (Les) Butler, Letha (Larry) Gillis, Leota Ryan, sister in law Mary (Wolfe) Niehaus, and many dear nieces and nephews, and a multitude of friends.

Bernice Marie Andrews

December 30, 1926 - August 15, 2020