Mildred Rambin Andries

Mildred Rambin Andries, age 87, passed away in the early morning hours of December 13, 2019. Mildred was born February 4, 1932 in Powhatan, LA, to parents Paul Rambin and Mary Allie (Bynog) Rambin. Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 48 years, Robert Blanchard Andries, her sister Helen Rambin Brewton and her brother Frank Louis Rambin.

Mildred and Blanchard are both survived by their six children: Blanche Wilkerson (John – deceased), Greg Andries (Mary), Dianne Rottler (Denis), Angela Lott (Paul), Marilyn Hawthorne (Frank) and Valerie Ewing (Jeff). Mildred and Blanchard were blessed with ten healthy grandchildren: Dana and Veronica Wilkerson, Courtney Andries, Lisa and Christine Rottler, Robert (Ambarly) and Mitchell Lott, Jessica (deceased) Young, Holli Croope, Jonathan Hawthorne and Madison Peters, and James and Richard (Amie) Ewing. Mildred also experienced the joy of three great grandchildren: Rohan Keddington and Kassidy and Wesley Weaver.

Early Days:

Mildred grew up in Powhatan and Natchitoches, LA. She attended and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic school which was served by the Sisters of Divine Providence order. She often mentioned Sister Patrick, who played tennis with them in the heat of the day. She held the skirt of her habit with her left hand and could still deliver a game-winning right backhand shot. She was also taught by her father’s sisters, Dolie Rambin Pearson and Lucille Rambin. The aunts were known to tug at her hair if she did not pay attention. They all taught her well, she had beautiful penmanship and perfect grammar. She offered grammar assistance (often unsolicited) until the day she died. Mildred also learned to pull hair from the aunts; but, she never mastered that backhand.

Nursing School:

Mildred attended Northwestern State University, which became Northwest Louisiana University, in Natchitoches. Northwestern’s School of Nursing sent their students to work and learn at Confederate Memorial Medical Center in Shreveport, LA. She cherished her friendships with fellow students Trudy Ehlers and Nita Ballard for her whole life. While in nursing school, Mildred began to date the dashing brother of some of her nursing school classmates, Robert Blanchard Andries. She graduated and became a Registered Nurse in 1952 and began a full-time job at Confederate Memorial, which later became the Louisiana State University Medical Center.

Early Married Life:

Mildred and Blanchard were married on October 3, 1953, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Shreveport. They settled in a small apartment on Dalzelle in Shreveport after returning from a honeymoon trip to the Ozarks. In July of 1954, they moved into their first home on Bullen Street on the western edge of Shreveport. The three-bedroom, one bath rancher had a one-car carport and sat on a heavily wooded ½ acre lot. The neighborhood was served by a single-lane, asphalt road that took a hard right and ended in a heavily wooded turnaround, which we called the Dead End (HGTV calls these Cul-de-Sacs). There were only 11 driveways in the neighborhood. The neighborhood was full of wonderful, responsible adults who watched over all of the many children being raised there. It was a perfect place to raise children. That is just exactly what they did. Blanche Marie Andries was born within one month of their move to Bullen Street. Blanche was followed by Gregory Charles and Dianne Elaine who all arrived before Blanchard and Mildred’s fourth wedding anniversary. This older group was followed by the younger group: Angela Denise, Marilyn Helen and Valerie Renee. The young couple had six children between 1954 and 1968.

Raising Children:

Mildred and Blanchard attended St. Theresa’s Catholic Church. All of their children were baptized there and attended school there. This was fitting, as the young couple was married on St. Theresa’s Feast Day (the day has since been moved). Mildred had a special devotion to St. Theresa throughout her life.

Mildred worked full time while they raised their children. She also cooked dinner every evening and participated in activities at the church, school and with extended family. She was blessed to have her parents nearby. They had moved to Shreveport in the early 1950s also. Her mother cared for her children while she worked.

During these child-rearing years, Mildred belonged to a Catholic women’s circle of faith at church, took her turn at yard duty at the school on her days off, was the scout leader for Blanche’s class, ushered all of the girls to dance classes when they were little, took Greg to little league practices and games and helped with the marching group, The Caddo Cuties. She also scheduled all of the necessary doctors’ appointments, sewed Easter dresses, homecoming dresses and prom dresses. There was no fast food to help in a crunch and nobody had a cell phone. None of the children remember ever having been left or forgotten. The family enjoyed spending every other weekend at The Camp on Big Cypress Bayou just across the Texas border. The family developed lifelong friendships with those at The Camp.

Mildred was many things to many people. She was a good daughter. She tended to her parents as they aged, often driving them to doctors’ appointments, the grocery store, or the bank. She was a devoted spouse, often introduced by Blanchard as his bride or as the Cooker of Good Food. She was a wonderful mom who helped to teach all of us to read, to use good grammar, to be responsible for little ones, to refer to a youngster as a child instead of a kid (we all know that is a goat) and to wash your hands both before and after you do anything. Mildred sang all of the time and would sing a Christmas carol at any time of the year.

Mildred was a devoted follower of her Roman Catholic faith. After she and Blanchard moved to Houston in 1975, they became members of St. Albert of Trapani Catholic Church. Over the years, she assisted by preparing the church for services, was a member of the parish quilters and made thousands of Rosaries as a member of Our Ladies Rosary Makers at St. Albert’s. She and Blanchard enjoyed time spent with the church group for seniors (Best Years of Our Lives, or BYOL). After Blanchard’s death, she spent several days each week in the church office as a volunteer. Mildred and daughters Angela and Marilyn traveled to Rome with the St. Albert choir. They traveled a second time with another Catholic tour company. She was able to see St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, and to experience the beauty of the Vatican City. When she moved to Greatwood Senior Living community, she read the readings at Masses until her health prevented it. She continued to receive Holy Communion weekly. The community was served by Priests, deacons and lay ministers of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land.

Mildred was a great nurse and co-worker. She helped patients and their families through some of their worst moments. She loved her co-workers. Many of them became dear friends. She worked from 1952 through 1975 at Confederate Memorial Medical Center in Shreveport and from 1976 through 1987 at Southwest Memorial Hospital (now Memorial Hermann Southwest).

Mildred was a reliable and true friend and family member. She treasured her friends and extended family members. She was younger than many of her cousins and they doted on her as if she were a real life doll. She especially loved spending time with Burrhl, Alex and Annie who were the children of her beloved Aunt Extina. Alex always let her ride the horses at his family’s place. Her dad’s sister, Ezilda, had a farm and Mildred was given a sow, named Pigoup, to raise. She was allowed to sell the piglets and keep the money.

After the move to Houston, Mildred and Blanchard bought a wooded piece of property on Lake Livingston in Coldspring. They had a multi-level lake house built into the trees there. Their children loved the place, just as they had loved the old Camp on Big Cypress. Mildred and Blanchard spent weeks at a time there in the trees overlooking the lake and watching the birds.

Dog Lover:

In addition to Pigoup, Mildred had several other very spoiled animals in her life. Her childhood dog was Butch. He went everywhere with her. When her children were older, she adopted a very handsome buff-colored cocker spaniel named Max. He was very much a spoiled one-person dog. After Max died, she adopted Duchess. Though spoiled rotten, Duchess was every bit as devoted to Mildred as Mildred was to her. After Duchess died, she did her best to spoil her children’s dogs and the dogs belonging to staff and residents at Greatwood.

Later Years:

Mildred moved to the Greatwood Senior Living Community in Sugar Land in 2011 just before her 80th birthday on February 4, 2012. She played bingo, sat at the front door to watch people come and go, visited new friends and attended church services there until her health deteriorated. Even then, she enjoyed visits from friends and staff members. The family is very thankful for the care and assistance given to Mildred while she continued to be independent.

Special Thanks:

The family wishes to thank Mildred’s many friends who have stayed in contact with her over the years during all of life’s changes. They have all supported each other with wishes and prayers. These include: nursing school friends from NSU, co-workers (nurses and doctors) at both Confederate Memorial and Memorial Southwest, Bullen Street neighbors, Chadwell Drive neighbors, church friends and clergy from both St. Theresa’s and St. Albert’s, friends from The Camp on Big Cypress and The Lake House on Lake Livingston. Special thanks go to Father Philip Wilhite and Father Vincent Tran from St. Albert’s, Father Nguyen from Saint Laurence, the wonderful staff at Greatwood Senior Living (especially Robert Preston), her friend and cardiologist Dr. Earl Mangin and his staff, Dr. Gumaro Granados and staff, and the kind people who treated her at the end of her life.