Obituaries: John Baptiste Vandegaer, Sabine Parish V-532 Source: Sabine Index, Many, La., Jan 31, 1980 Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck carlrad@earthlink.net ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** John Baptiste Vandegaer (Photo) John Baptiste Vandegaer, known by all as J. B., died at 12:20 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, at Schumpert Medical Center in Shreveport, following an extended illness. He was 82. Mr. Vandegaer, who had been ill for the past six years, had recently undergone surgery. Survivors of Mr. Vandegaer are his widow, Mrs. Johnnie Bell Paul Vandegaer of Many; and a sister, Miss Sarah Vandegaer of Many. A funeral mass was concelebrated on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 10 a.m., in St. John's Catholic Church of Many. Father Gustave Bergeron, pastor of the church, officiated. He was assisted by Father William Quaaitaal, a former pastor, now of Pineville, and two cousins, Msgr. John C. Vandegaer of Stonewall, and Rev. Edward Buvens, S. J., of Natchitoches. Burial was in the St. John's Cemetery, under the direction of the Warren Meadows Funeral Home. Pallbearers were C. A. Quillen of Shreveport, C. C. Daubs of Leesville, J. E. Carmichael, Leonard Q. Abington, Judge J. S. Pickett Jr., William Andries, Georg Joe Boyens, and Joe Lowrey, all of Many. Out of town visitors attending mass for Mr. Vandegaer included Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Quillen, Mrs. Jane Rougeau, Mrs. Willie Ethel Lott, Mrs. Sallie Bob Williams, Miss Melanie Lee, Mrs. Robert Boyd, Doyle Seal, all of Shreveport, and Sisters Philomene, Germain, Elizabeth, and Edmund, all of Schumpert Hospital in Shreveport, Dr. and Mrs. David A. Lee, Mrs. Teresa Giering, and Mr. and Mrs. Kerlin Sutton, all of Natchitoches, Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Springer, and Miss Janet Youngblood, all of Converse, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Laiche of Poplarville, Miss., Mrs. W. D. Postell, and Miss Leonore Andries of New Orleans, Lawanda McMillan Gresham of Houston, Tex., Mr. and Mrs. Harry Clopfelter of Mansfield, Mary Cartwright of Beaumont, Tex., Mr. and Mrs. G. I. Bazemore of Keatchie, Mr. and Mrs. B. I. Paul, and Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Preston, all of Dallas, Tex., A. G. Savell of Zachary, Mrs. Loyd Murdock Sr., and Mrs. Louis Lefkovitz, both of Zwolle, Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Phillips of Winfield, Mrs. C. V. Arrington, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Arrington, and Melanie, and Adam Arrington, all of Arkansas. John Baptiste Vandegaer, who was born to William H. Vandegaer, formerly Sabine Parish Tax Assessor and Clerk of Court, and Mary Belle Buvens Vandegaer, on August 17, 1897, was a community and church leader, businessman, and World War I veteran. One of his favorite sayings was, "The people of Many and Sabine Parish have been good to me", but he was good to them also. He was one of the pioneers in the development of Toledo Bend Lake. He was among the five persons appointed by the Sabine Parish Police Jury in 1949, to serve on the Sabine Watershed Association, when the lake was just a dream. The association was a voluntary, non-profit organization composed of four regions, upper, central, lower, and Louisiana. He served as secretary of the association, and was vice chairman of the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana, which followed the Sabine Watershed Association. His efforts, and efforts of others like him, helped develop the dream into a reality, beginning with the creation of the Texas-Louisiana Sabine River compact, and ending with the completion of the lake in 1968, which ranks fifth in size among the nation's reservoirs. He was instrumental in the founding of the present Sabine INDEX. He signed the note to buy the Sabine BANNER, which mad the development of the INDEX possible. At one time, he owned the light company in Many, when electricity was only available from 6 to 11 p.m. daily. He served as an appraiser, and assisted the late A. J. Hodges Sr., founder of the famed Hodges Gardens, to acquire lands for reforestation in the area in the early 1940s. He was a member of the Along El Camino Real Association from 1940-1962. The association was organized to promote the towns, historical sites, and tourist attractions along El Camino Real from Natchitoches to Nacogdoches, Tex. He was a charter member of the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce, which was organized March 1, 1946, and served as its president and secretary. He was also a charter member of the Lions and Rotary Clubs. He served a secretary of the Lions Club for many years, and was named secretary of the Rotary Club, when it was founded in 1968. He was interested in Youth, and served as a Boy Scout Master for many years. He also served as district chairman of Norwela Council, Boy Scouts of America, and was awarded the coveted Silver Beaver Award, which is presented for outstanding work in scouting, on December 3, 1957. He was a lifelong member of St. John's Catholic Church, and was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, holding all offices in the organization. He had two careers in business. His first was banking, in which he spent 26 years, and the second was insurance, in which he devoted 28 years. He was employed by the Sabine BANNER for five months in 1916, before going to work for the Peoples State Bank, where he remained until 1942. At that time, he founded the J. B. Vandegaer Insurance Agency, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1970. During his banking career, he was president, and served on the board of directors of the Northwest Louisiana Clearing House Association, a banker's organization. During his years in insurance, he received numerous commendations from various insurance companies. He was a veteran of World War I, serving with the U.S. Army from September 1918 until January 1919. He was an active member of the American Legion, Floyd Jordan Post 172, and held all offices in the local post, as well as all offices, including district commander, in the eighth district. During World War II, he was Aircraft Warning Director of Sabine Parish, and was chairman of the U.S. Defense Savings Bond staff. He was also in charge of increases in food allotments for the parish, during the U.S. Army Maneuvers in the early 1940s. Both he and Mrs. Vandegaer were active members of the American Red Cross. The two of them were adopted parents for literally hundreds of homesick soldiers during the 1941 Army maneuvers, and have remained in touch with a great many of them. General George S. Patton camped in their backyard, and a procession of other officers, including General Walter Krueger, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, commanded the simulated wars in the area. Mr. Vandegaer attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Many, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree from St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, La. in 1916. He played both baseball and football in college, and remained interested in both sports all of his life. He was one of the organizers of the Many Baseball Association in 1948. He was pitcher on his college baseball team, and was right end on the football team. One game he never forgot was one he pitched, and lost, against Louisiana State University. He married Johnny Belle Paul of Many on September 14, 1920, and together, they became leaders in the community over 59 years of married life.