Meet Andrean Warner …the new owner of Sandman Motel in Gallatin

Andrean Warner officially took over ownership of Sandman Motel on Nov. 1. The business is located at South Main Street in Gallatin.
“The former owners, Dave and Diane Wilson, cooperated in every way possibly to make the transition a smooth one,” Andrean said.
Andrean was born in Fuller- ton, CA. She lived in Brea, CA, until she was 14. When she was a sophomore in high school, her parents bought a hotel in Neihart, MT, which they ran for three years. They moved back to Brea the last half of Andrean’s senior year. She attended college at what is now called the University of California at Fullerton, seeking a degree in history.
She then went on a mission trip to Paris with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for one-and-a-half years. She returned home and joined the military with the ASA Agency, which is army intelligence in computers. Afterwards she went home to stay with her folks and raise her daughter, Lavonne Adele Smith.
Andrean worked as a journeyman machinist for 24 years at Rockwell Graphics in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, until 2001 when the plant moved its operation overseas.
“By now I was 55 years old,” said Andrean. “Employers say they don’t discriminate based on age, but they definitely do.”
Her daughter had re-married and moved to Cedar Falls and Andrean moved there to help raise her grandchildren. She stayed in Cedar Falls for a couple of years, until 2005, working as a substitute teacher and licensed massage therapist.
Andrean’s sister Pam retired from a phone company and bought the Starlight Hotel and RV place in Carrollton. Andrean went to visit and her sister suggested she talk to a real estate agent if she wanted to do something similar during her retirement years. Andrean located the Sandman Motel on the Internet and she and her daughter drove down to look around.
“I’m getting up in years and this was the perfect place — all one level,” she said.”I’m 59½ years old and once I’m moved, I’m moved.”
She said she and Lavonne took an instant liking to the area.
“All the people from the town and our church were kind and helpful,” she said. “We could tell from how friendly the folks were that we would enjoy living here.”
Andrean has been working getting things “spiffed up”. She has ordered supplies and linens and new beds for some of the Sandman’s 12 rooms.
“I was afraid when the Hwy. 6 workmen went away I’d see a decline, but I haven’t really,” she said. “Christmas pulled people in. I’ve got visitors from Colorado, Las Vegas and South Carolina visiting through the holidays.”
Andrean plans to check into substituting teaching in the area schools and also get a state massage license. She is going to set up a room in the back of the hotel as a clinic where she will offer reflexology and Swedish and neuromuscular massage.
“I hope success to everyone and wish everyone a happy new year,” she said. “And I hope God blesses everyone.”