Roll Call Tribute

Elton Lyall McAndrew
October 6, 1925 - July 26, 2021

Elton Lyall McAndrew, of Florence Texas passed away peacefully at his home on July 26, 2021, at the age of 95, surrounded by his family. Lyall was born in Briggs, Texas on October 6, 1925, the fourth of six children in a loving Christian family. He attended Briggs High School, where he played basketball and was valedictorian of the class of 1943. As did many young men during WWII, Lyall turned down a college scholarship to enlist in the military after high school. He joined the Navy in September 1943 and served for three years as an aviation ordnance man on an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific. He went on to spend two years at Tarleton when it was still a two-year school, and then transferred to Texas A&M, where he graduated in the class of 1950 with a degree in Agriculture and the gold class ring that he wore with pride all his life.

He went to work for the Department of Agriculture and spent the next two years teaching Vocational Ag to returning veterans. He was sent to Bartlett where, on the luckiest day of his life, he met Agnes Leatherman, who was home for the summer between semesters at UT, and they were married on September 5, 1952. Lyall’s next assignment was to the Soil Conservation Service in Georgetown, where he served in the Little River San Gabriel Conservation District. Lyall and Agnes loved their years in Georgetown, where they started their family, became loyal Eagles fans, built their first home on University Avenue, and were founding members of Crestview Baptist Church. In 1962, Lyall and Agnes bought a ranch in Florence, and in 1965 built a house there, and the family moved to their forever home.

Lyall and Agnes were active members of the Florence community they loved, serving as PTA officers and Booster Club supporters. Lyall served as Deacon at the First Baptist Church, which became their second family, and where Lyall and Agnes taught Sunday School for decades and volunteered whenever and wherever they were needed. They were also tireless workers in the creation and maintenance of the Florence Veterans Memorial. Lyall retired in 1980 from the Soil Conservation Service after 31 years spent in the job he loved, working with the good people who farmed and ranched in his district. Lyall and Agnes went on to spend the rest of their lives traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada, working on the ranch, and enjoying their family, their church, and their many, many friends.

Lyall was preceded in death by his beloved Agnes after 66 years of marriage, his parents, Emmon McAndrew and Edna Williams McAndrew, his brothers, Varion and Modell, and his sister, Marie McAndrew Steele. He is survived by the family who will forever love him dearly: his daughters, Peggy (Ken) Houghton of Georgetown and Phyllis (Tim) Ellinger of Dallas; his granddaughters, Cassandra Isbell of Florence, Rhonda (Matt) Karcher of Spring and Meredith (Connor) Warren of Dallas; his grandson, Jarrod Ellinger (Brandi) of Dallas; his cherished great grandchildren, Rex and Lyla Isbell; his brother, DeWayne (Donene) of Boise, his sister Norma McAndrew Schumann of Houston, his brother in law Clem Leatherman of Taylor, his sister in law Thyra Leatherman Whitfield (Hardy) of Burnet and his much loved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service to honor Lyall’s life will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at the First Baptist Church, 106 College St., Florence TX 76527.

In lieu of flowers, Lyall’s wish was for donations to be made to the First Baptist Church in Florence, whose Pastor and members bolstered his faith and his strength to go on without Agnes.

You may share a message or memory in the online memorial guestbook at www.RamseyFuneral.com.

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