John and Dorothy Andrews and Their Family

John and Dorothy had five children, all born in China. Robert was born during their first full year (1917) in Tatsienlu, China. Following that came Susie (b. 1920), Jeanne (b. 1922), Judy (b. 1923), and Edward (b. 1927). The children seemed to thrive, though Susie had some breathing problems at one point due to the 8,600 foot (2,621 meter) elevation. Ironically, the one tragedy occurred while the family was on furlough in the United States. Baby Judy developed whooping cough and died in Takoma Park. Dorothy lamented that she gave birth and cared for her children in the primitive conditions of Tibet, but she lost a child to disease while in the United States.

John and Dorothy Andrews with their first three children–Robert (b. 1917), Susie (b. 1920), and Jeanne (b. 1922). This picture was taken while they were on furlough in America and just before returning to China in the last half of 1924. This is after the death of Judith in February of 1924.

John and Dorothy Andrews with their first three children–Robert (b. 1917), Susie (b. 1920), and Jeanne (b. 1922).

John and Dorothy Andrews with their four children [Robert, Susie, Jeanne, and Edward (b. 1927)] in Rogersville, Tennessee, in 1933, soon after permanently returning to the United States from mission service in China.

John and Dorothy Andrews with their four children probably in the late 1930s. By this time the family has moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, where John has a medical practice. Robert will soon enter the military during World War II.

“Report of Birth of Children Born to American Parents.” This is for John and Dorothy’s 4th child, Judith, born June 1923.

Judith with her sisters, Susie and Jeanne, while on furlough in America, in the fall of 1923.

The record of sorrow associated with the death of a young child. Judith, while on furlough in America, contracted whooping cough, a major childhood killer, and died in February 1924, at less than one year of age. Dorothy bemoaned that she had given birth and raised four children in the wilds of remote China, only to loose one of them to disease while in America.

Undertaker receipt.

What you see here is the bill from the undertaker and the bill from the cemetery.

Bill from the Cemetery.

Letter to Grandma from Bobby [Andrews], about 1925.