This memorial to George Andrews is under construction. We will be adding more.

George Andrews, Navy Veteran, long time resident, past Tualatin teacher, vice principal and business man, died January 20, 2024. He and his late wife Evie were long time members of the Tualatin Historical Society. He was from the Jurgens/ Andrews/ Casteel family—all big names in our history. Scroll down and enjoy the life of this great man as much as we enjoyed having him with us. When your finished, please leave your memories in the comment section at the end of this posting. Follow here if your interested in attending his celebration of life.

Teacher George Andrews upper left cornet

Excerpts from 1979 article about George authored by Yvonne Addington.

A part-time job at Bonk’s Shell Station in Tualatin was the beginning of a long time business career for George Andrews. He is one of the few people who can now say they were born, raised, taught school, worked and now owns 3 businesses –all in the Tualatin area. He was born in the home of his grandparent’s, Harvey and Rosa Casteel, who lived on Boones Ferry Road (eventually developed as Casa de Robles apartments). He grew up on Boones Ferry Road south of Norwood Road on the farm which his ancestor, Justice of the Peace George Day settled on in 1859 after migrating over the Oregon Trail. His father and mother, Kenneth and Evelyn Casteel Andrews raised 10 children on the farm. Father Ken worked for Buswell’s Auto Repair in Tualatin.

George started working part-time in 1953-56 while in Sherwood High School. Bonk’s Shell Station which was located on the corner of Boones Ferry Road and Seneca Street (where Tualatin Auto Repair and Mashita’s Teriyaki are now located) was just the beginning for a successful Tualatin business man, George “Corky” Andrews.

After high school in 1956, he went into the Navy and was stationed at the Naval Station in San Diego, where he attended Nuclear Medicine School for 4 years. In 1960, he got a job at Good Samaritan Hospital where he worked for 4 years and finished college at Portland State University. He married Sarah Ann Hogsett and became parents of four children, Jim, David, Vicki and Lauri.

From 1964-74, he taught school and became Vice Principal at Tualatin Grade School where he went to school. He taught 8th grade and an extra class of 6th grade Science . Speaking of the class room size when he taught 70-80 students at a time, he said, “You have no discipline if you don’t expect it.”. “If you don’t expect problems, you don’t get them and there were few students who did not respect me then and later for my strict demands for classroom discipline”.

In 1974, he became the co-owner of the James King Company of Tualatin, manufacturer of truck and trailer accessories. In 1978, he bought out co-owner Bill King. Today, the company employs 70 people and is located on Cipole Road.

In 1975, Bonk’s Shell Station came back into his life. The station was once owned by “Crump” Jones who tore down the old “Buswell” building and rebuilt the current buildings during World War II. Crump sold the buildings to Fred and Gerry Bonk who ran the station for about 15-20 years. In addition, they owned Tualatin Automotive Repair which was operated by Harold and Orville Muilenberg. Long time employee Clarence Fessler and Tualatin area resident next bought the business and the Bonks moved to Astoria to fish. In 1975, Clarence had a heart attack so he sold the business to George Andrews. George continued at James King Company while brother Darold Andrews and Kelvin Staven ran the Shell Station.

In 1979, a new business opportunity arose for George, who purchased Pro Gro, a company that produces potting soil and soil mixes. At the time, local realtor Alice McDermott owned McDermott Realty, which was located in the Post Office building next door to the “Brick” store. Alice and her husband had established “Pro Gro”, using the rich soils in the Mulloy swamp on Grahams Ferry Road. Today, the company known as Pro-Gro Mixes and Materials, has expanded operations at the Grahams Ferry Road site as well as at the Port of Tillamook Bay Industrial Park where they use recycled waste from Tillamook County dairy farms to enrich their soils. The company now supplies the Pacific Northwest with the “best” soil mixes, materials and service in the nursery and landscape industry. This company is managed by son David Andrews and employs 10-12 persons.

Still another business located in the Mulloy area south of Tualatin is owned by George and is called Lion Golf which manufactures and wholesales golf clubs.

NOW: George and his wife, Evelyn, Oregon School Teacher of the Year in 1984, live in a log house on S.W. 65th Avenue (Meridian Road) south of Tualatin. Evelyn was a teacher at Tualatin Grade School and after 31 years of teaching, still substitutes in local schools. His mother, Tualatin native Evelyn Andrews, 90, lives with them. Son David Andrews manages Pro-Gro operations. Son Jim Andrews, is President and owner of Nicoli Engineering, Inc. in Tigard; daughter Vicki Johnson is a special education teacher in Lake Oswego; daughter Lauri Andrews is a certified nursing associate specializing in oncology at Northwest Cancer Specialists located in the Meridian Park Hospital campus on S.W. 65th Ave.

Asked when he will retire, George replies “Never”!”