Roland Bentley Andrews 1907-2002

Roland Bentley Andrews - 1907 - 2002

Member of the Bainbridge NY High School Class of 1924

 

Roland Bentley Andrews, Age 16

Class Treasurer

Senior Photo - Echo 1924

 

Roland Bentley Andrews was born 5 August 1907 to George and Myrtle (Bentley) Andrews.  His great-great grandparents were Roswell and Roxana (Holcomb) Andrews, who came from Connecticut to settle in Coventry, Chenango County, NY in the early 1800s, making them among the earliest area settlers.  His great-great grandfather, Roswell Andrews, is reported to have been among the soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.  Following graduation from Bainbridge High School in 1924, Roland studied mechanical engineering at Pratt institute in Brooklyn, NY.  In 1930, he is found working as an accountant for the American Separator Company in Bainbridge.  In 1936 he began his employment with IBM in Endicott where he would work for the next 35 years until his retirement.  On 22 August 1934 he married Lydia Elizabeth Collins, also a member of the Bainbridge High Class of 1924. Their family included two daughters (Caroline, Linda).  Roland Bentley Andrews died 16 August 2002 eleven days following his 95th birthday, having survived his wife by 23 years.  Roland and his wife, Lydia, are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Bainbridge, NY.

 

Birth Announcement

Bainbridge Republican, August 8, 1907

Born to Mr. and Mrs. George Andrews, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C.F. Bentley, on Monday, August 5th, 1907, a son, Roland Bentley Andrews.

 

Engagement Announcement

Binghamton Press, June 11, 1934

Binghamton [Broome Co., NY]:  Lydia Collins, 218 Front street, entertained at a dessert bridge at the Kalurah Country club Saturday afternoon to announce her engagement to Roland B. Andrews of this city.  A lavender, green, yellow and pink color motif dominated in the table appointments.  Bachelor button and rose favors concealed the names of the affianced couple.

 

Marriage Announcement

Sidney Record, August 23, 1934

Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY]:  Miss  Lydia Collins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh E. Collins of West Main street, became the bride of Roland Bentley Andrews of Binghamton, son of George Andrews of this village, in St. Peter's church this morning.  The Rev. Bradford Tite performed the ceremony.  The bride was attended by Miss Catherine Brown of Norwich, Conn., and best man was Stanton Kilpatrick of Buffalo.  Miss Janet Juliand of Bainbridge played the wedding march as well as the music preceding the ceremony.  Hotel DeCumber in Sidney was the scene of a breakfast, following the ceremony.  The bride is a graduate of the Bainbridge High School, Oneonta Normal School and Columbia University. The groom was graduated from the Bainbridge High School and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.  He is at present employed at the Vulcan Corporation in Johnson City.  After a motor trip through the New England states, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews will reside at 218 Front street, Binghamton.

 

Obituary

Tri-Town News, August 21, 2002

Binghamton [Broome Co.., NY]:  Roland Bentley Andrews, 95, passed away on August 16, 2002.  Roland was predeceased by his wife, Lydia Collins.  He is survived by his daughters, Caroline O'Connor (Gary) and Linda Lee Miller (Jerry); grandchildren, Erin Van Marter (Robert), Douglas O'Connor and Shannon Sennott; three great-grandchildren, Andrew and Mark Van Marter, and Alendria O'Connor. Roland grew up near Bainbridge, N.Y.  He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1927 and married his junior high school sweetheart in 1934.  In 1936 he  joined IBM Endicott where he worked for 35 years. After his retirement, Roland and Lydia spent the next 8 years traveling and seeing the world.  They visited every state except Alaska and many foreign countries.  After Lydia's death in 1979, Roland became more involved in Church work, using his background as an engineer and his life long wood-working hobbies to build and repair church equipment and furniture. At age 90, he entered the first of several assisted living facilities in Binghamton and the Syracuse area, always charming the staff and other residents with his resilience, courage and sense of humor.  Funeral services were held Tuesday at 12 noon at Trinity Memorial Church.  The Rev. Noreen P. Suriner officiated. Burial followed in Greenlawn Cemetery, Bainbridge, N.Y.