Kimberly Jo Andrews died of cancer last week before Annandale residents could tell her how much she meant to them. That was the goal of Linda Bachel, who wanted to show her friend just how much the community she lived in nearly all her life appreciated her. And Annandale didn’t let her down. As the organizer of the Kim Curtis Andrews Benefit Fund, Linda witnessed first hand how the community rose to the occasion, donating raffle items, monetary gifts and the promise of their attendance at the event that will come 15 days too late for Kim to appreciate. But on Thursday, Sept. 4, the benefit will go on, said Bachel, who hopes the proceeds will help take care of some of the hospital expenses the Andrews family has acquired since Kim was diagnosed with cervical cancer last September. The event will be held in the Park Pavilion at Annandale Municipal Park from 5 until 9 p.m. There will be a raffle, a silent auction and a dinner with Chopper as the entertainment. “Kim was the type of person who was always ready to lend an ear,” said her husband, Kent, who quit his job as a concrete finisher to stay at home and take care of her. Last September, pain prompted Kim to make an appointment with her doctor, who discovered she had cervical cancer. Chemotherapy helped initially, but the cancer came back, this time in a different area, Kent said. After multiple visits to the hospital, Kim settled into her Annandale home where Kent, with the help of family, friends and professional nurses, cared for her. She died there on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the age of 42. Funeral services were held Friday, Aug. 22, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale. Kim was born in Minneapolis to Charles and Bonnie (Schmitz) Curtis, but lived the majority of her life in the Annandale area. She and Kent were married May 28, 1983, in Buffalo. Their only son Mikel, is a 2002 graduate of Annandale High School. He attends St. Cloud State University. “Kent stayed right by her side through this whole thing,” said Linda, who has been friends with Kim for nine years. Because neither Kim nor Kent has been working, Linda thought a benefit was in order. “The outpouring, the response from the local businesses for donations has been really good,” she said. Silent auction, raffle Besides the silent auction, which will include quilts, scrapbook items and pictures among other things, there will also be a raffle on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Maple Lake American Legion. Tickets will be sold at Thursday’s benefit. The grand prize is an electric wood stove donated by Wright-Hennepin Electric. A wood glider donated by Mike and Lisa Christensen, a carved bear and a DVD player will also be raffled. Dinner at the benefit will be done picnic style and will include sloppy joes and cole slaw. Chopper “the world’s funniest DJ,” has donated his services and there will also be face painting for the kids and a cake walk. “I just wanted Kim to see how much this community thinks of her,” Linda said. Now it’s Kim’s family who will benefit from their neighbors’ support.
