Cara Mae Andrews

Cara Mae Andrews, 90, of Oklahoma City passed into the loving arms of the Savior that she dedicated her life to serving. Service have been entrusted to the care of Bill Merritt Funeral Service and a service celebrating her amazing journey will be held on Monday, December 26th at 2pm at the Bill Merritt Chapel with interment following at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Public visitation will be held from 9am to 1pm on Monday at the funeral home. Cara Mae Stark was born on May 5, 1926 in OKC to Soloman and Fay (Reinking) Stark. She was raised in Central OK and graduated from Kingfisher High School. The daughter of one of the founders of the Pentecostal denomination, she knew she was called into the ministry at an early age. Following high school, she attended Emmanuel College in Georgia where she studied business and theology. She later transferred to Southwestern Chrisitian College in Bethany, OK where she served as the college’s first registrar. In her late 20’s she became a missionary and traveling evangelist. She and her ministry partner traveled the nation speaking and singing at churches and holding revival meetings. During this time she also met and married Hershel D. Lake. Cara and Hershel spent many years together spreading the gospel and raising their two children David and Jeanette. They spent several years in Visalia, CA where she pastored a Pentecostal church. In 1987, Hershel went home to be with the Lord and soon after Cara relocated to OKC to be near her family and she became the worship leader at Lynn Ave Pentecostal Church, a job she enjoyed well into her late 80’s. Cara served as a Sunday school teacher most of her adult life and she also filled the pulpit as a guest minister for pastors who needed a break. She spent her later years studying her Bible and writing encouraging letters to her fellow ministers, as well as writing her thoughts down for use as a devotional for several of his friends and family. In 2004, Cara was blessed to meet and marry Raymond Andrews. Cara truly loved Raymond and enjoyed caring for him and spending time with him at their home at Brookdale Living Center. She enjoyed knitting, painting, crocheting, bead working, and traveling to Branson with her family. Cara Mae Andrews was a loving mother, a loyal wife, a caring grandma, and a humble servant of Jesus Christ and her family rejoices in the promise that today she is sitting, restored and renewed, at the feet of the her Savior. She was preceded in death by her parents: Soloman and Fay Stark; her first husband Hershel D. Lake; a step-daughter Linda Mandrell, and multiple brothers, sisters. Cara is survived by her husband Raymond Andrews; a son David Lake and wife Linda of Oxnard, Ca; a daughter Jeanette Reed of Coweta, OK; a step-son Gene Andrews and wife Darlene; 4 grandchildren: David Lake and wife Carin, Amy Rigsby, Lance Reed and fiancé Diane, Hannah Ward and husband Scott. 9 Great Grandkids: Eden and Gideon Lake, Trey, Aaron, David, Matthew, and Anna Rigsby, as well as Brooke and Skylar Reed; a step-son-in-law Tommy Mandrell and several step-grandchildren. She is also survived by multiple nieces and nephews.