Biographies: Vandegaer Family, Sabine Parish Source: Sabine Index, Many, La., Apr 29, 1998 Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck carlrad@earthlink.net ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** by Shannon Clements Editor Passengers of two ships traveling from Belgium to the United States in 1855 and 1856 settled in Sabine Parish and played integral roles in the parish's history. Miss Sarah Vandegaer, a longtime Index reader who lives in Many, provided this newspaper with information on her ancestors and their travels from Belgium to Louisiana. With the help of family members, she has traced her family history back nearly two-and-a-half centuries, to 1751, with the birth of Jan Baptiste Van de Gaer in Thielts, Notre Dame. Among documentation preserved by Miss Vandegaer is a photocopy of the manifests of the Ship Sheridan and the Wandering Jew, boats which traveled from Belgium to Louisiana in December 1855 and November 1856, respectively, docking in New Orleans. The Sheridan was captained by Samuel Clark and the Wandering Jew was captained by a Mr. Stockpile. Gaspaar & Johanna According to and excerpt from a book detailing the history of Louisiana, Gaspaar and Johanna (Broweer) Vandegaer (spelled Van de Gaer in Belgium left the land of their birth - Thielt, Belgium - in 1855, and took passage on a sailing vessel at Antwerp, docking at New Orleans after a 64-day voyage. The ship was called "The Ship Sheridan." Born in 1796, Gaspaar was the youngest son of Johannes (Jan) Baptiste Vandegaer and Maria Theresa Van Huffelen Vandegaer, who married in January 1776 and had eight children Gaspaar and Johanna Vandegaer, ages 57 and 47, respectively, were accompanied on the ship by their unmarried children - Arnold, age 27; John Baptiste, age 20 (grandfather of Miss Vandegaer); Maria Rosalia, age 18; Felix (Felicite), age 13; Melanie, age 12; and Daniel, age 10. They also traveled with the elderly father and mother of Johanna Broweer Vandegaer. Also listed on the manifest as passengers of the ship were Jean DeLatin, age 34; Maria Vandegaer, 26, Jan Andries, 24, Therese Vandegaer, 22, Petrus Andries, 3, and Adolph Andries, 1/2 year old. Among passengers of "The Wandering Jew" was Maria Josepha Vandegaer, age 26, a daughter of Gaspaar and Johanna Vandegaer. Also on the ship were Jean DeLatin, age 34; John Andries, 24; Maria Theresa Vandegaer Andries, 22; Petrus Andries, 3; and Adolph Andries, 1/2 year old. Maria Theresa was a daughter of Gaspaar and Johanna Vandegaer. She and John Andries married in Belgium in about 1851. The couple had 12 children. Maria Josepha Vandegaer married Anselm DeLatin and died in Many. After The Ship Sheridan docked in New Orleans, the Vandegaers immediately proceeded to Rapides Parish and settled at Cotile, near Alexandria. A real estate man had boosted the land and gave them great promises of bettering their condition, offering a different fate from their native Belgium. There, the nobles owned all the land, and there was little opportunity for the poor people to better themselves. It was in Rapides Parish, at Spring Creek, that Gaspaar died on Oct. 25, 1861. The rest of the family scattered it seems, some going to Alexandria, and some moving to Many. Johanna Catherina Broweer Vandegaer moved to Sabine Parish sometime after her husband's death. She died exactly 32 years after her husband, on Oct. 25, 1893, and is buried at the St. John's Cemetery in Many. Daniel Vandegaer A passenger on the Ship Sheridan at the age of 10, Daniel Vandegaer died in Many, in 1921. He was married three times. After his first wife, Margaret Lorraine Woods died, he married Alice West. After she died, he married Isabelle Eason. She was the aunt of Frank Eason, of Many. The only daughter of Daniel Vandegaer and Isabelle Eason was Theresa, who married Marion Corley. After serving as Sabine Parish Tax Assessor, she entered into the abstract and title business with her son, John, as her partner. John Corley now operates the business solely, as Corley Abstract and Title Research. Daniel was the parish surveyor for more than 45 years. He studied at night by the light of the wood fire in the fireplace. One of the children of Daniel Vandegaer and his first wife, Lorraine Woods, was Msgr. Nicholas Vandegaer, who was pastor of St. Matthews Catholic Church in Monroe for over 35 years. His second wife, Alice West, was the mother of Nina Johanna Vandegaer, who was Sister Teresa of the Sisters of Divine Providence in San Antonio, Texas. Among the children of Daniel's third wife, Isabelle Eason, was Msgr. John C. Vandegaer, who was pastor of various Catholic Churches including the Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Shreveport for over 20 years. John Baptiste Vandegaer Traveling to America at the age of 20, John Baptiste Vandegaer had learned the blacksmith's trade of his father in the common schools of Belgium. He remained in Rapides Parish for four years and moved to Many in 1859, carrying on his blacksmith's trade here until 1867. He then began engaging in merchandising, which he carried on very successfully, eventually operating a firm called J.B. Vandegaer and Sons. His sons, Leo and William Henry were equal partners with him in the business. John Baptiste Vandegaer married Miss Maria Josephine Buvens. Also native of Belgium, she was the daughter of Peter Buvens. Maria Josephine came to Many with her father, brothers and sisters in 1839 at the age of nine, her mother having died in Belgium prior to that time. The Peter, or Petrus, Buvens family traveled by boat from Belgium to New Orleans in February 1839, and moved to what was then Natchitoches Parish but later became Many. (Sabine Parish was carved out of Natchitoches Parish in 1843.) Immediately after moving to Many, John Baptiste and his wife settled in a house at the end of what was later known as Kenilworth Avenue, where they lived out their married life. The street is today named Vandegaer Ave. and the house that John Baptiste built is still standing, and is likely the oldest house in Many. John Baptiste and Maria J. Buvens Vandegaer had three children - Leo, Mary Felicita and William Henry. John Baptiste Vandegaer served three years in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy, and participated in the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. He held various offices of trust in the parish, having been Postmaster in Many from 1878 to his death, Parish recorder for four years, treasurer for one term, president of the School Board for sic years, and Justice of the Peace for 13 years. He also served as Mayor of Many. He was also one of the five original builders of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at Many in 1870. Before that time, the priest traveled from Natchitoches to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and services were conducted in the Vandegaer home. The Children Leo Vandegaer served as Tax Assessor of Sabine Parish for five years, was a census taker in 1880, owner of The Sabine Banner, clerk of court for about six months, and served as a clerk for the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Department. He also succeeded his father as postmaster from 1895 until his death in 1914. He was first married to Virginia Abington, to whom was born Margaret Lucille, known as Sr. Clotilde of Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. His second marriage was to Emma Currie, to whom was born Mary Eulalie, Mary Annie, Annie Claire and Leo Jr. Mary Eulalie "Eula", succeeded her father as postmaster (postmistress), and, carrying on the family tradition, served in that position until 1918. As her grandfather, John Baptiste, had served from 1878 until his death in 1895, and her father had served from that time until 1914, three generations of Vandegaers served the patrons of the Many Post Office for 40 years. Mary Felicita Vandegaer married A.F. Addison. William Henry Vandegaer, born in December 1865 (recall to John Baptiste Vandegaer and Miss Maria Josephine Buvens Vandegaer), married Mary Belle Buvens (the sister of Elizabeth Blake), and the couple had two children. John Baptiste Vandegaer (named for his paternal grandfather), born in 1897, and Sarah Anne Vandegaer (named for her maternal grandmother), born in 1902. William Henry was born at his parents' home on Vandegaer Ave. and lived there most of his life. He was educated in the public school at Many and graduated from St. Charles Jesuit College at Grand Coteau in l884. In 1892, he was elected Sabine Parish Tax Assessor, and served in that position for four terms, or 16 years, retiring at the end of 1908. In February, 1909, he was elected Sabine Parish Clerk of Court, a position he filled for three consecutive terms, or 12 ears. Also during this time, he was associated with J.H. McNeely in the mercantile business under the firm name of McNeely Mercantile Company. He served as clerk of the local Draft Board during World War I and as Federal Food Administrator. For several years, he was associated with J.G. Belisle in the newspaper business, owning half interest in The Sabine Index, and was also a director in the Peoples State Bank of Many. Mary Belle Vandegaer died in 1904. William Henry later married Mrs. Lottie Hatcher, nee Abington, daughter of Dr. T.W. and Sallie Lipscomb Abington. She died in 1942. The couple was childless. When William H. married Mrs. Lottie Hatcher, she was a widow and the mother of seven children. Her oldest daughter, Daisy, married William Roland Robinson, who later owned and operated Robinson's Garage and Dealership. Another daughter, Margaret (Maggie). married John S. Pickett Sr. who was later elected Judge of District Court. Her youngest daughter, Inez, who never married, was a talented musician who taught violin and piano lessons in Many. After retiring from the office of Clerk of Court, William Vandegaer engaged in the Abstract and Title business at Many, as W.H. Vandegaer Abstractor, in association with his daughter, Sarah, in 1933, the firm name was changed to Vandegaer & Vandegaer, Abstractors. After his death in 1947, the firm name was changed to Vandegaer Abstract C., Sarah A. Vandegaer being the sole owner at the time. When the company was sold in 1965, the Vandegaer name was dropped at her request and it was given the original title, Sabine Abstract & Title Co. It was at William H. Vandegaer's urging that the Kansas City Southern Railroad travels through Many. He was a personal friend of the KCS locating engineer, who had plans for the railroad to go north and south from Kansas City, Mo. to Port Arthur, Texas, "as straight as the crow flies." At Mr. Vandegaer's insistence, the railroad was located going east and west through Many instead of bypassing it. The Grandchildren John Baptiste Vandegaer III was in the newspaper business and was a cashier at the Peoples State Bank in Many for a number of years. Among his honors were his election as vice-commander for the Eighth District American Legion. he also founded, owned and operated J.B. Vandegaer Insurance Agency, with his wife. J.B. Vandegaer III married Johnnie Belle Paul in 1920. Johnnie Belle, who was born in 1901, taught school in Many and Fisher for eight years, worked in the Vandegaer Abstract Office for seven years, served as active postmaster in Many for about two years (having been appointed in 1936). She continues to live on Vandegaer Ave. in Many. John Baptiste III died in 1980. Miss Sarah Anne Vandegaer owned and managed the Vandegaer Abstract Company in Many for many years. She retired in 1983. She has been a lifelong member of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, and is a member of St. John's Altar Society, the American Legion Auxiliary and a charter member of the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce. # # #