(March 28, 1921 – December 19, 2014)
George M. Vandenberghe of Cedar City, Utah, age 93, passed away December 19, 2014, at the Southern Utah Veterans home in Ivins, Utah. He was born March 28, 1921, in Los Angeles, California to Maurice Arthur Vandenberghe & Madeleine Martha Donckels Vandenberghe.
George moved from Los Angeles with his parents in 1928 at the age of seven. His family farmed and made their home south of Cedar City in the area now known as Vandenberghe Road.
George attended school in Cedar City where he met his sweetheart of 73 years, Mary Jane Stephensen. She was attending BAC (SUU) where Dad would take her home after getting milk from the college diary. The ride looked good to her.
They married January 22, 1942, in Pioche, Nevada, and lived on the farm for the remainder of their lives. They lived in a sheep wagon for the first year and built a home as the family grew.
While farming the land Dad also worked at the Iron mines for 33 years. He enjoyed loading bullets, hunting deer and rabbits. He also loved the outdoors, horse back riding, ice skating on Navajo Lake and sledding at Woods Ranch was also a fun activity with his family and friends.
Dad created a legacy that started with five sheep & 20 acres producing hay, corn, wheat, raising cows, sheep and turkeys. His turkeys were known as the best in the west, raising up to 12,000 turkeys each year.
Dad and Mom followed the Utah Jazz thru their ups and downs, traveling to Salt Lake where they met the Jazz bear, Frank Laden and President Thomas S. Monson.
Dad was known to all who traveled on Vandenberghe Road. Should you be traveling there … BEWARE of a slow moving red Dodge or a John Deer Gator on the wrong side of the road. He had a great gift of gab and loved sharing his Obama jokes.
George is survived by his sister Joeline (Joe) Perri; his children, William (Bill) Vandenberghe (Maxiene), Regina Lister, Madeleine Shelley (Keith), Marsha Snow, Judy Jenson (David); and nephew Lee Roy Stephensen; 19 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren and his beloved dog Blackie. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane, a daughter Margaret Elizabeth, two brothers Henry and Roger and two sisters, Mary and Betty.
We would like to thank all those that have attended to Dad these past few years.
Funeral Services
- Funeral services will be Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. in the Hamilton Fort Ward, 1100 West 725 South.
- A visitation will be Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 10-11 a.m., prior to services.
- Interment will be at the Cedar City Cemetery.
Arrangements have been made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, telephone 435-673-2454. Friends and family are invited to sign George’s online guestbook at the Spilsbury Mortuary website. .