11/15/2021
Dr. Michael Kirk Andrew, age 67, of Washington, Iowa, died Monday, November 15, 2021, at the Washington County Hospital.
To celebrate the life of Michael, there will be a Prayer Service beginning at 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 19th at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home in Washington. Calling hours will begin at 2:00 p.m. Friday at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will be present to receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Friday evening.
Graveside services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 20, 2021, at Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for WCDC, Inc. or to his grandchildren’s college education fund. Online condolences may be sent for Michael’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com.
Michael was born July 27, 1954, in Lauterbach, Germany, the son of Heinrich Schroeder and Maria Schimmer. He was adopted and raised by Dr. George and LaVonne (Kirk) Andrew.
Michael attended school in Knoxville, Iowa, where he graduated from high school in 1973. He attended and graduated from Iowa State University in 1978 and later received his Masters in Rehab Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Michael was proud to have received his Doctoral from the American College of Metaphysical Theology in Minnesota. While at Iowa State, Michael met the love of his life and was married to Karen Brodie on June 12, 1976, in Akron, Iowa.
Michael and Karen moved to Washington in 1980 where he served as the Executive Director and later President of WCDC Inc. until his retirement in 2018. He was a national rehabilitation surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation Commission (CARF) in Tucson, Arizona, from 1995 until 2010. He taught for the University of Missouri during the 1980s and 1990s and served on numerous professional boards.
Michael’s great passion for humor and the ability to brighten people’s day with his quick wit, a joke or a one line zinger was his way of life. He enjoyed fishing, traveling, football, socializing, eating out and of course, a good cigar. In his earlier years, he enjoyed going on RAGBRAI and golfing and was an original member of the Spoke busters bike club.
Michael was a faithful member of the 10:30 Winga’s coffee club and later the 10:00 a.m. Dodici’s coffee club where he held the honor of “keeper and enforcer” of the by laws. He embraced his German culture and his German family.
He is survived by his wife, Karen of Washington, Iowa; daughter, Emilee Jones and husband Greg of Washington, Iowa; daughter, Ellyn Hildebrand and husband Keith of Wayland, Iowa; son, Robert Andrew and wife Melissa of Washington, Iowa; six grandchildren: Myles Jones, Kohl and Kinsey Hildebrand, and Kayla, Kaden and Karter Andrew. Mike is also survived by his brother, Bernhard Schimmer and wife Christa of Germany and sister, Mary Kay Werning and husband David of Des Moines, Iowa.
Michael was preceded in death by his biological parents, his adopted parents and one brother, Mathias Schimmer.