Julia Zurline Andrews

Julia Zurline Andrews, of Marlin, passed away Friday, March 18, 2011, at Parkview Hospital in Mexia, at age 89. Visitation will be Saturday, March 19, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, March 20, 2011, at the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Steve Nance of the First United Methodist Church of Groesbeck officiating. Burial will follow at Fort Parker Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Jason Rhodes, Kenneth Rhodes, Kevin O’Neal, David Rosas, Dean Tate, David Diver, Donald Simpson, Ronny Simpson, and Jimmy Grissett. Zurline was born on July 7, 1921, to Ross Rhodes and Fannie (Meador) Rhodes near the Big Hill community. Growing up, she attended Limestone County rural schools at Big Hill, Mill Creek, and Mesquite. Like others of her day, she grew up helping the family with working in the cotton fields, milking a cow, and other farm work. She was united in marriage with James Andrews in Groesbeck on March 31, 1946, after he was released from his military service during World War II. They moved to Waco, where he worked for General Tire and she was a seamstress for several sewing factories in Waco. Around 1981, they retired and moved to the Andrews homeplace on the Thelma road near Fort Parker. There they planted gardens, and a peach orchard and sold peaches from their home. She was a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxilary #288. “Nene” as she was called by her family, enjoyed her nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews, who took the place of the children she never had. Her husband passed away in 1994, and later, she moved to Marlin in 2005 to help care for her sister who had health problems. After her sister passed away, she continued to live there near her niece, Mary Gross, for the rest of her life. Julia was preceded in death by her parents; her husband James; her sister, Mary Pauline Adams; brother, Charles Pete Rhodes; brother-in-law, Raymond Adams; nephew, Charles Rhodes; and niece, Gloria Jean Diver. She is survived by three nieces, Mary Gross of Marlin, Yvonne (Bon) O’Neal and husband Robert O’Neal of Thornton; Shirley Horton of Marlin; nephew, Jimmy Rhodes and wife Barbara of Thornton; sister-in-law, Edna Rhodes of Thornton; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.