Beatrice G Andris

Beatrice Guidry Andris’ life began in the heart and soul of Cajun Country. She was born April 18, 1947, in Lafayette, La., the youngest child of eight siblings born to Joseph and Agnes Guidry. After the death of both her parents – all occurring before she turned 10 – young Beatrice was sent to Port Arthur to live with her oldest brother, Warren, and his family. She would later attend Lincoln High School in Port Arthur.

Beatrice spent most of her days being involved in her children’s school events, cooking, and taking special care of her son, Ishmail, who lived with cerebral palsy. In the midst of raising five children, she would find peace and tranquility walking the Port Arthur Seawall. Walking the seawall wasn’t the only activity she enjoyed. Beatrice loved watching soap operas, especially Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful. Many an evening, she and her sister Laura would talk about Victor Newman and Stephanie Forrester as if they were family friends.

Beatrice’s cooking brought smiles to many people’s faces. Ishmail’s famous request, “I want some mo meat” brings the family laughs to this day. Her scrumptious pecan candy took hours to make but minutes to disappear. Former brother-in-law Ronald Andris confessed that Bea’s smothered steak was the best he had ever tasted.

After Ishmail’s passing in 2004, Beatrice began travelling to visit her daughters and grandchildren in the Dallas area. These trips were a welcome break from the monotony of Port Arthur. The first summer she spent in the Dallas area allowed Beatrice to take a much-needed summer trip to San Antonio with daughters Sharon and Schmeka and grandchildren Darelle and Branden. She was excited to visit the Alamo and other landmarks in the Alamo City.

Later in life, Beatrice enjoyed politics and was quite enthralled in the 2008 election of Barack Obama. And, it was at this time, she revived her love for listening to country music. When she grew tired of listening to attacks on Obama, she would flip over to Great American Country (GAC) or Country Music Television (CMT) to catch Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, or Darius Rucker. Some of her favorite television shows included Gunsmoke, The Virginian, The Rifleman, Dancing With The Stars, Empire, and handfuls of LMN dramas.

In addition to her parents and her only son, Beatrice is preceded in death by three siblings – sisters, Beaulah Morris and Zara Broussard; and brother, John Guidry.

Beatrice’s legacy is carried on through her survivors. They include four daughters, Sharon Jenkins (husband Paul) of Kemah, Patrice Adindu of Lewisville, Tonya Whitaker of Plano, and Schmeka Andris of Little Elm; two brothers, Warren Guidry Sr. (wife Maline) of Port Arthur and Thomas Guidry of Houston; three sisters, Laura Horton of Houston, and Bessie Daniels (husband Willard) and Mildred Jackson, both of Port Arthur; six grandchildren, Darelle Flores (husband Frank) of Beaumont, Branden Hart of Kemah, Briana Adindu of Lewisville, and Torry Andris, Rebekah Andris, and Lydia Andris, all of Plano; one great-grandchild, Micah Ndukaku of Beaumont; and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives.