Vivian Beatrice Van Vacter, b. 1920
Notes from Richard Ronald Van Vacter
How do you review in a few short minutes a life that spanned 80 years? How do you cover all the bases of the lives that were affected by a person like Vivian Van Vacter Webb Colgrove? The answers to those questions are - you do not. I am asking all of you here today to think about Vivian and the positive influence she has had on your life. Remember that we are here to celebrate her life, not to mourn her passing. She would want us to get this day behind us on a positive note so we could get on with our lives. Her words to us are - life goes on.
To know Vivian, you have to go back to her humble beginning. She was born on January 20, 1920, to Oren and Vivian Van Vacter. She was the first born of 11 children. They didn't have a car, or a television, or an air-conditioner to cool their house in the summer. In the winter they heated their house, or should I say one room of the house, with a coal burning stove. They did not have the money to purchase entertainment, so they had to invent methods of enjoyment when they were not working.
As a child Vivian loved the simple acrobatics taught her by her Father. Vivian and her sister Dorothy competed, seeing who could do the most cart wheels or walk the farthest on their hands. She spoke often of how her Father would take the kids outside on a clear night and teach them the names of planets and their location in sky. He would point out sections of the heavens occupied by various patterns of stars to which names had been given. He would take them for walks on a summer day and teach them the names of flowers and trees, and when they would come upon a patch of clover, they would sit and spend the longest time looking for four-leaf clovers. These were but a few of the things that stimulated her desire for learning. As a child she learned to be competitive, a lesson that helped shape her character and hone her survival skills for the business world.
The Van Vacter's were very poor and Vivian, like those who followed, had little incentive to finish school. Putting themselves in the mainstream of the adult world was a matter of survival. Vivian married at the early age of 15 and soon realized that she needed more information about life and about the world if she were to become a productive member of society. At that point in her life her real education began. College courses, correspondence courses and the constant use of the public library were her road to education. Because of her determination to succeed, she, like the Phoenix, lifted herself from the ashes of poverty and ignorance and rose to a position of learning and success. As she gained knowledge she understood that learning was never ending and she continued self-education until a few short weeks before she died.
On October 28, 1935, Vivian married Thomas Lee Webb, a union to which eight children, 23 grand children, 10 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren were born. The children - in order of their birth - are: Norma Lee, Jean Irene, Barbara Ann, Linda Louise, Thomas Roy, Cathy Joan, Nicholas James and Charles Arthur. Vivian was a devoted Mother who loved and protected her children. Vivian had learned from her Mother that her primary duty was the care of her children. She was always there for them, to lend a hand, give advice - share some time having a good laugh or a walk down memory-lane. Her smile and laughter were contagious. She was able to have a house full of guests laughing till their stomach began to hurt.
On the serious side she was so proud of the fact she was able to document her connection as a descendant of the Mayflower. It took her several months to gather the needed documents before she was eventually accepted into the society. She mainly for her family to show they were from a long line of forebears who established roots on this continent 380 years ago.
Vivian and Tom were divorced in the mid 1960s, and on December 7, 1967 she married John Russell Colgrove. That marriage lasted until John's death in July of 1996.
Vivian left a legacy of love, compassion, hard work and continuing education. She would want us all to use that as an example to help us have a richer, fuller and more meaningful time on this earth. Vivian's time here on earth is over, but she lives on in all of us. Her influence will be felt till the end of time. Remember life goes on.
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A profile written by William A. Van Vacter -
Vivian Beatrice Van Vacter, daughter of Oren D. Van Vacter and Vivian Parker was born in St. Joseph on January 20, 1920. She attended Neeley, Musser, Hosea and Benton High Schools. She attended St. Joseph College with studies in news reporting and newspaper advertising. Studies to upgrade skills was at San Bernardino Valley College (San Bernardino, California) of studies in public speaking, professional sales, TV script and creative writing.
With her marriage to Thomas L. Webb she had Norma Lee (B.S. degree - University of Fullerton - California). Working in her career of social work in the San Francisco area; Linda Louise obtained a degree in interior design, working her trade in the Hemet, California area; Dr. Thomas Webb, a career in medical research. Specialist genetic engineering, San Francisco; Cathy Jo, teaching certificate at Cal State, San Bernardino, California. Now teaching in Meridian, Idaho; Nicholas J. (twin) received his A.A. at San Luis Obispo and is sales manager, U.S. Territory for Pool Chem, Inc.; Charles A. (twin) returned to college for upgrading skills in radio as producer, writer and broadcaster; two of her children died young - Jean Irene, age one year, two months, and Barbara Ann, age four and one-half years.
Her volunteer work included PTA. She held chairs for publicity and president. She received PTA life membership when her term ended. She received honors for her volunteer work with the girl and boy scout groups in San Bernardino, California. Vivian, the mother of twins, also was publicity chairperson for the San Bernardino twin club. Vivian is Lutheran, and attended First English Luteran Church where she sang in the choir and worked as a volunteer.
She spent forty-two months with the Sun-Telegram newspaper, San Bernardino, as sales representative in display - classified advertising. Twenty-one years with the Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Times is the largest advertising paper in the world, as it runs the most ads. Living in the largest county in the U.S., San Bernardino County, she was advertising sales representative of that county and the adjoining county of Riverside for the Los Angeles paper.
In 1967 Vivian married John Colgrove. They lived in San Bernardino, California, where they intended to live until John retired. They hoped to relocate in Southern Missouri or Northern Arkansas in a few years.
A remarkable woman, born in a family of eleven children. She, being the oldest, was an extended mother to this writer. Her attention to my behavior, studies at school, and good habits carried over to my adulthood. I find her to be the pattern from which I judged all women. She is still the standard from which I measure most folks today.