OBITUARY Andrew Oscar Bush
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from June 1998.
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Andrew Oscar Bush, the second child and son of Thomas Leighton Bush and Mary Catherine Bush (nee Bodden), was born and raised in his parents' home, which still stands in its original form and is one of the few remaining old homes in the district of South Sound. His brothers, Leighton, Theo, Paul and Byrum and his sisters, Constance (Connie) and Corrine Thompson, all preceded him in death.
As a boy, Andrew attended Mr. Rankin's school and certainly must have made good use of all that he was taught, as his learning there served him well until the end of his active life.
Like most Caymanians, Andrew started out as a seaman. In 1920, he and his elder brother, Leighton, and good friend Mr. Elroy Arch left for the United States in search of work. Leighton never returned to Cayman, and Andrew spent many years sailing out of and around the Texas and Louisiana area on Gulf Oil and Texas Company tankers. In 1927 Andrew returned home to Cayman, and on 6 June 1928, he was united in marriage to Alda Irma Parsons, the daughter of Thomas Parsons and his good wife, Antoinette (Nettie) Bodden. To this union seven children were born - Brent, Darwin (better known as Buddy), Erlene, Virginia, Cherry Catherine, Irma Kaye, and Cheryl Karen. His wife, Alda and daughters Cherry Catherine and Cheryl Karen preceded him in death.
After his 1928 marriage, Andrew again tried the sea for a livelihood. This time he went to Jamaica, where he worked for J.S. Webster & Sons. He shipped out from there for a while, but love and longing for family and home again lured him back to Cayman.
Making a living in the nineteenthrities and forties in Cayman was not an easy task. As there was no employment here, it was virtually impossible to remain at home and raise a family. Although Andrew did a little of everything - carpentry, painting, farming, raising cattle and fishing - he soon, like all the others, looked for work wherever he could find it. When World War II was raging and work for the United States Army was available in Colon, Panama, he headed that way with his brotherin-law Lawrence. As did many other Caymanians of that day, he took advantage of the opportunity.
In the mid nineteen forties, Andrew returned home and worked as a carpenter and painter, most of the time with Mr. Elroy Arch in boat building, in house building and in the construction of some of the first modern office buildings, condominiums and hotels. Andrew served in the Vestry in George Town from 1946-1948. This he thoroughly enjoyed.
Andrew was a hardworking man and did whatever work his hands found to do in order to provide for himself, his wife and his children. He was successful in raising a fine family. He was a loving and devoted husband, a good father, a kind and caring grandfather, and a faithful friend. He was of a jovial nature and found great pleasure in living until he lost his beloved wife of 53 years in 1981. His only interest after that was his children and grandchildren.
Of course, Andrew also had a serious side. He was baptised in the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1938 and attended there over the years until age and illness made it impossible for him to do so.
Andrew suffered a severe stroke in 1992, permanently paralysing him and making him unable to speak. He was then cared for most of the time at the Pines Retirement Home, where he was given good care by the nurses. The family takes this opportunity to thank everyone there who so patiently attended his every need. May God richly bless them.
Andrew Oscar Bush passed away peacefully at 5:15 pm on Friday 22 May 1998, thus ending the last of his generation of one of the oldest families of South Sound Grand Cayman. He leaves to remember him: Sons Brent and Buddy; daughters Erlene Hudgins, Virginia Hydes, and Kay Clyatt; daughter-in-law: Ethel; brother-in-law: Lawrence; Grandsons: Andy, Phillippe, Matthew Bush and their wives; Andrew Hudgins and his wife; and Earl and Thomas Hydes (grandson Sebastian Clyatt preceded him in death); Granddaughters: Martha Milburn, Miriam Ebanks, Ruth Grizzell and her husband, Roberta Baca and her husband, Desiree Hydes and Sandra Kaye Meeken and her husband; Great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnephew, grandniece and great-grand nephewas well as other relatives and friends.
