Andrea Mae Wooldridge was born on June 14th, 1933, Flag Day, to Grant Dewey Samuelson and Verna Samuelson in Decorah, Iowa. From that day forward our Mother loved celebrating holidays! When Andrea was very young, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota during the Great Depression. Her older brother Dewey watched over her during the cold winter nights while her mother, a teacher, worked in a sewing factory. Verna remarried William Jansen, a Danish immigrant and real estate broker, and the family moved to southern California, the land of sunshine and promise. Andrea grew up on a large property, now Pacoima, surrounded by orange groves, with a fish pond, dog kennels, and our favorite … an outdoor shower covered with ivy and pink roses. However, her stepfather was frugal and Verna, an artist and pianist, made her clothes, while her Uncle "Dante the Magician" bought her dolls and dresses.
Following graduation from San Fernando High School, where she first laid eyes on the love of her life, Don, mother walked and traveled by bus in high heels and pin curls to work in Glendale, 2 hours each way. She loved her "girl Friday" job at Western Federal, each day was different! The excitement of the city was not to last, because Donald Marion Wooldridge, "Woody", a Naval signalman during the Korean War, asked her to marry while he was in Japan. In 1954, after planning a wedding, they eloped to Las Vegas, moving to Lompoc in 1955, where the construction trade beckoned.
Andrea and Don soon had two children, Karen Lee in 1956, and Traci Lynn in 1959, and happily shared their lives in Lompoc until Don's sudden passing in 2000. Together they started Valley Cabinet Shop, spending summers with the girls and friends at the beach, camping, and water skiing. She was always happily busy, organizing classroom parties at Hapgood Elementary School, teaching Presbyterian Sunday school, leading Bluebirds and Brownies, sewing and knitting troll doll clothes, and helping her daughters arrange flowers for the annual Alpha Club Flower Show. Don and Andrea's most important lesson was teaching their girls how to love. Mother remained in Lompoc, nurturing friendships, her daughters, and her grandchildren, until she was tragically injured in an accident in 2006.
Despite all of her losses, and not to be defined by this, Andrea remained a caring and courageous individual, until her physical disabilities became insurmountable. Most importantly, she remained an enduring, unconditional, and compassionate friend and mother to Karen and Joe Chandler, Traci and John Gardner, and grandmother to Jacqueline Andriette and Nathan Joseph Chandler, and Yvette Cece Gardner.
Andrea and her family would like to gratefully acknowledge the compassionate care given by Harbor View Medical Trauma Center of Seattle, Washington, Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Center, Carnahan Physical Therapy, the Palliative Care Team of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Dr. Mozingo, Dr. Hullander, and Mark Jamali-Ashtiani, P.A. of Pacific Pain Physicians, Danielle Wiswall of Focus Physical Therapy, Dr. Guzawells of Sansum Clinic, Lompoc Valley Medical Center ER staff and hospitalist Dr. Novin, and nursing staff, Assisted Healthcare Hospice, all of the Lompoc Valley Medical Center Comprehensive Care staff where mother made her last home, caregiver Linda Wollet, and the Village Dirtbags Mountain Biking Team. Mother never ceased to be amazed, comforted, and delighted by the outpouring of loving concern and kindness she received from countless friends over the years.

"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today" (an Italian proverb).

Thank you for planting so many seeds for our beloved Mother. On January 17th, 2012, Andrea went to rest peacefully in God's glorious garden. Her family respectfully requests that in lieu of the flowers she loved, that memorial contributions are made to the Lompoc Museum, where Andrea was a docent, 200 South H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436. A private service will take place in the springtime.