Dean "Sonny" M. Andrus

DEAN M. ANDRUS

June 30, 1923 – August 14, 2020

      Dean M. Andrus, age 97, of Rincon, Georgia, formerly of Nevis, Minnesota, went home to be the Lord on August 14, 2020.

      Dean was born on June 30, 1923 on a farm in Hewitt, Minnesota to Bruce and Eva (Russell) Andrus.  At age 18, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dean joined the United States Navy, proudly serving his country during WWII.  Dean spent the next two years in the South Pacific on the USS LST 129 and the USS Cohasset Supply Ship after the LST was sunk out from under him.  Dean left the US Cohasset in the Philippines in February of 1944 and returned to Nevis, MN in March that same year.  In April 1944, Dean traveled to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station where he received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy as a First Class Petty Officer.

      On returning home, Dean purchased 80 acres east of Nevis, married Jean O. Dave, started a family and farmed for the next four years.   Unable to make a go of farming, he loaded up his wife Jean, sons, Billy Dean and Bob “Scooter”, daughter Bettie “Susie”, and headed for San Jose, California in March of 1955 where their fourth child, Bonnie was born.

      Dean spent the next 30 years driving an 18 wheeler, delivering Ford automobiles over the eleven western states.

      Dean retired in 1985 and returned to Nevis, Minnesota where he and his son-in-law Tony “Willie” Wilson built a home on the property that Dean purchased from his father, and where he spent the springs and summers for the next 30 years.  The harsh winters were spent in Willie and Susie’s backyard in a small bungalow Dean and Tony built.  Dean finally sold his retirement home in 2016 and moved to Georgia permanently.

      Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Bruce and Eva Andrus; older brother, Don; two older sisters: Doone Covell, and Dorathia Coyle; the mother of their children, Jean Davis Andrus; their sons, Billy Dean, and Bob “Scooter” Andrus; second wife, Yvonne, third wife, Wylma; their foster daughter, Nancy Velasco; and granddaughter, Mercedes.

      Dean is survived by his two daughters: Bettie “Susie” (Tony) Wilson, and Bonnie (Ben) Miller; a brother-in-law, Mike (Trudy) Davis; his extended families the Schoons, and a stepson Paul (Lalla) Van der Meer from South Africa.  Dean had 19 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

      Memorial services will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, October 3, 2020 at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home, Park Rapids, MN with Pastor Justin Domogala officiating.  Inurnment will be at the Resthaven Cemetery, Nevis, MN following the service.

      To leave online condolences or to view the video tribute please visit www.jonespearson.com