Mande Rene Riehl-Scofield Andrews, 38, St. Cloud

February 1, 1980 - December 27, 2018

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mande Rene Riehl - Scofield Andrews on December 27, 2018 at the age of 38 years old. This beautiful and amazing woman has impacted and changed the lives of everyone she came into contact with through her short yet powerful time here on earth. Mande passed away surrounded by her family and loved ones at home after a long but very courageous battle with breast cancer.

Mande Rene Riehl - Scofield Andrews was born February 01, 1980 to Debra Andrews Dotzler and Joseph Riehl in Crosby, MN. Mande was raised in the Crosby/Brainerd area, then lived in Arizona and California before making St. Cloud her hometown. She graduated from Apollo High School in 1998, then attended Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.

Mande dedicated her life to helping others. She taught American Sign Language to children and adults through Community Education classes, tutoring/mentoring interpreters, assisting families with deaf children, and teaching others around her constantly. Mande also spent 20 plus years in the Mental Health field working with adults and adolescents.

Mande enjoyed spending her downtime crafting. She enjoyed scrapbooking, making cards, coloring, and reading. Mande was an avid reader; you would find her constantly with her nose in a book. Reading became challenging when her vision started to decline. Through her entire life Mande has always stayed strong, smiling, compassionate, loving, taking care of others before herself, and committed in her relationship with Jesus.

Mande was a very gifted artist. She truly moved your soul when she expressed her music through American Sign Language. She had an extremely kind and generous heart. She cherished her friends and family. Mande was “adopted” into multiple friend’s families as a loved daughter, sister, and extended family member. She was loved everywhere she went. Mande’s absolute favorite place was in or near the ocean. Her love for the ocean started when she was young. She loved the power and strength of the waves but also found calm and peace in them. Mande was able to go on her dream vacation this past June when she went on a Caribbean Cruise and spent a week in Florida enjoying the ocean. Mande loved to travel, explore, and was always up to trying a new adventure.

Mande loved children and animals. Mande was an amazing Aunt and Godmother to several very special children. She especially loved her fur - babies. She had multiple beloved cats through her lifetime whom she loved dearly as well as several dogs. Butterflies and fairies have always held a special place in her heart, along with the color purple.

Mande is lovingly remembered by her partner Cici Riehl-Scofield, her Mother Debra (Dave) Dotzler, her father Joseph Riehl, and her siblings Ryan (Lindsey) Riehl, Ashley Riehl, William Dotzler, James Dotzler, and She’Lin Dotzler. She is remembered by many Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and extended family members that loved her dearly. Mande will be greatly missed by her vast number of friends and those she had known since childhood. She blessed many people who came into contact with her and was regarded as their special sister, daughter, and friend.

She is also survived by her fur babies, Phoenix, Lily, and Kamikaze.

Mande is being welcomed into Heaven by her Grandparents Wayne and Emmy Andrews and Uncle Myron Rubbelke. Champagne, Tigger, Kahlua, Amaretto and Sadie, Mande’s precious fur babies that have already passed, and will be in her loving arms again.

The family would like to thank Heartland Hospice and Benson Funeral Home for their compassion and care during Mande’s final days.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, January 3, 2019 at Joy Christian Center. Visitation will be from 12:00 - 2:00 PM.

A private family burial will be held at a future date. We would love for people to share stories and pictures of Mande’s amazing life that she lived. This is a time to celebrate and rejoice the love that Mande shared with everyone that was blessed to have known her. We will be making a book filled with stories about Mande’s life. If you have a story you would like to share, please bring it to the Celebration and I will add your story to a book I am making for family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, Mande would like to have donations made to the Coborn’s Cancer Center in St. Cloud, MN. She would like to have hats and scarves donated to people currently fighting through cancer. Mande would like to help those struggling with all the physical, mental, and emotional burdens of cancer by providing a small gift. We will have boxes at Mande’s celebration to collect any donations.