- Date Of Birth: July 12, 1937
- Date Of Death: February 3, 2021
- State: Iowa
Gene Paul Andrews, the son of Wilbur Arthur and Flossie (Surber) Andrews, was born July 12, 1937, on a farm in Dallas County. He and his twin sister, Jane, were born 9 years after their last child, when Flossie was 42! He passed away on February 3, 2021, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.
He attended Washington Township school, where he played baseball, sang in the choir, and was senior class president, graduating in 1955. He worked construction for 2 years before he attended the University of Iowa for a semester to learn vocational studies of printing and journalism. He was going to move to Colorado, but he decided he needed experience in the newspaper business before getting a “real job,” so he moved to Anita in 1958 to begin working at the Anita Tribune. There he met and married LaDonna Christensen on April 21, 1962. They are the parents of two daughters, Dana and Deanna.
Gene bought The Anita Tribune in 1975 and owned it until his death. He was a big part of the community; he was a member of the Anita Chamber of Commerce, serving several terms as president; was a member of the Anita School Board and served on the Anita City Council; was a member of the Lions Club, the Quasquicentennial Board and a member of the Anita Volunteer Fire Dept. for 16 years, serving as captain of the ambulance crew for 14 of those years.
