Andrew Keith Hart

Andrew was born to Clyde H Hart and Jeanette McPherson Hart. His mother preceded him in death on October 20, 1955 when he was just six years old. His father preceded him in 1981. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Elizabeth Maxine Hart Nutt in March of 1958. He is survived by his brother, Clyde H Hart Jr., and his wife of Edmond OK, and his sister and brother-in-law, Glenda and Gary Jenkins of Pearland, TX, three nieces, two nephews and several great nieces and nephews.

Andrew graduated from the Masonic Home in June 1968 and joined the Army in the fall of 1968. He was sent to Vietnam the following year and wounded in January 1970. He received a Traumatic Brain Injury that affected his speech and mobility. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for his injury.

Andrew was transferred to the VA Hospital in Dallas where he had to learn to walk and talk all over again. He was able to leave the hospital in October 1970 and lived in Lancaster with his father, sister, Glenda, and two nieces, Belinda and Heather.

At the time, his brother-in-law, Gary, was on a six month Mediterranean tour with the US Navy. When Gary returned from his tour in March 1971, Andrew moved to Virginia with Glenda and her family. Andrew moved back to Lancaster when Gary was transferred to South Carolina.

In 1976, Andrew moved to the Pearland area and once again was living with Gary and Glenda. He lived in Pearland for several years.
Andrew bought an RV in Rockport, TX, a home in Yorktown and commuted between Rockport and Yorktown for several years, but eventually moved to Yorktown. When the traffic in Yorktown became too heavy (those three cars passing by were just too much), Andrew decided to move to a smaller town outside of Goliad - Charcho, TX. He lived on 67 acres off the beaten path where it was just him, the cows and deer. He lived there for nine years. When the 67 acres became too much to handle, he moved back to Pearland and rented a house next door to Gary and Glenda. The house was not built for cold weather, so he moved in with Gary and Glenda in December 2013.

On February 8th, he experienced severe abdominal pain and was rushed to Methodist St. John’s Hospital in Nassau Bay. He succumbed to his illness on Sunday, February 9th.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 2:00 PM at the West Side Church of Christ in Pearland.

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There are two outstanding stories I can tell about Andrew and they both involve my getting into trouble!

When he was about three years old, he wanted to go to the store for candy. Mother and Daddy were busy, so I was told to take him. I kept putting him off (I thought I was busy!). After a while, Andrew came up missing. He decided he would take himself to the store. We lived in Dallas at the time, so he had to cross two busy streets and ended up miles from home. Of course the police were called and a report went out on the radio. Luckily, the attendant at the convenient store that Andrew went into, heard the report. So when a tow headed three year old wandered in the store looking for candy with no money and no supervision, the police were called. When the police brought Andrew home, he got the hugs and kissed and I got the spanking!

Then there was the time when he was six. Mother had passed away and we were living in Phalba, TX. Daddy worked in Grand Prairie at the time. Again, I was supposed to be watching Andrew. We had gotten a new TV when TV’s were the new thing. Andrew was playing outside with two friends. During commercials, I would look outside to check on them. The next thing I know, one of his little girlfriends came running into the house yelling that the barn was on fire. Her brother and Andrew were still down at the barn trying to put out the fire by throwing corn shucks on it. Luckily, the boys came running out of the barn because I was too busy letting the squealing hogs out of their pen which was right next to the barn. Clyde and I had to go looking for those hogs. Once we found them, we had to drive them to a neighbor’s house and use their pen since we no longer had one. Again, I was in trouble for not watching Andrew.

Our father sent us to the Masonic Home because he could not take care of us.

- Glenda