Samuel VanderJagt

Samuel VanderJagt, 99, died Saturday, April 29, 2017 at his home in Horicon, WI with his family by his side. Visitation will be at the Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home, N7199 N.Crystal Lake Rd., Beaver Dam, on Thursday, May 4, 2017 from 1-2:30 p.m. A funeral service will follow at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Adam Stout officiating. Burial will be at Davenport Memorial Park in Davenport, Iowa on Friday, May 5, 2017. Prior to the burial there will be a visitation at the Runge Mortuary and Crematory, 838 E. Kimberly Road in Davenport from 1-2 p.m. There will be a service officiated by Rev. Bill Beattie at 2 p.m. followed by a procession to the cemetery for military burial. Samuel VanderJagt was born on February 8, 1918 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the late John and Johanna (VanderPloeg) VanderJagt. He graduated from Union High School in Grand Rapids. In 1941, Sam answered the call to serve his country and joined first the Naval Reserve and later as a radio-operator gunner in the Army Air Force. As a T/Sgt, Sam served from 1942-1945 during WWII in the European Theater. He flew 66 missions on a B-26 Marauder Bomber with the 596th Bomber Squadron and earned 4 battle stars and Air Medal with 2 silver and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters. Sam was married to his sweetheart Jane Aneta DeVoogd on January 1, 1943 before deploying from Florida. He returned from the war in 1945 and several years later enrolled in Calvin College and Seminary to earn his B.A., ThB, and M. Div degrees. This equipped Sam to serve as pastor and chaplain for the next 65 years in numerous capacities. Sam pastored Christian Reformed churches in both Battle Creek and Detroit, MI. He established home mission churches in Sacramento, CA and Davenport, IA. When Sam retired, he went on to serve as a Protestant Chaplain at Davenport’s Mercy Hospital for over 13 years. He then answered the call to serve as Interim Pastor for Presbyterian churches in Illinois (Coal Valley, Alexis, and Canton), and Bethel CRC in Fulton, IL and Kimberly Village CRC in Davenport. Loyalty to his country was evident throughout Sam’s life. He was a member of the Davenport American Legion and served many years as their chaplain. He also worked with youth in the Civil Air Patrol. Sam earned the Citizen of the Year Award from the Rock Island City Council for his service to their local Rescue Mission. He also worked tirelessly to help establish what is now the Women’s Choice Center in Davenport and served on their board for 25 years. At the age of 88, Sam was hired as Chaplain for Select Hospital in Davenport, and with this, ended his formal career at the age of 92. Sam continued his profession informally by visiting the sick, counseling, marrying, burying and baptizing. Survivors include four children, Sandra (Marve) Westenburg of Sparta, WI, Jane “Laurie” (Steve) Scholten of Horicon, WI, Janna (Bruce) Stout of Savanna, IL, and Samuel VanderJagt, Jr of Glennallen, AK; 16 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. Sam was preceded in death by his wife, Jane, of 73 years, son Ronald VanderJagt, grand-daughter Jennifer Scholten, his parents, 3 brothers and 1 sister. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to World Renew, a Christian relief organization ministering to families in need.