Fred James (Vandermark) Vandemark (1892 - 1980)

Born 12 Jan 1892 in Putnam County, Ohio

Ancestors

Husband of Lena Ruth (Sawyer) Vandemark — married 13 Jun 1913 in Henderson, Shiawassee, Michigan

Husband of Helen Saxton (Lilly) Vandemark — married 21 Jan 1928 in "Red Oaks," Bartlett, Shelby, Tennessee

Descendants

Died 23 Jan 1980 at age 88 in Memphis, Shelby Co., TN

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Fred James Vandemark - Successful Traveling Man

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Fred, born January 12, 1892, in Vaughnsville, Ohio, to Charles and Mary Pollie Fruchey Vandemark, did not fit the usual mold of following in the farming footsteps of his father. He was searching for ways to use his unusual talents. The second of four boys born to Charles and Pollie, Fred had musical talent and the ability to see what needed to be done and get it done.

Charles farmed in Ohio, but around 1902-1903, he moved his family from Columbus Grove, Putnam, Ohio, to the less settled Gratiot County, Michigan. All four boys attended school there graduating from high school, a rarity in those days. Fred played in the Forest Hill, Pine River Township, community orchestra around 1904. A photo shows him playing a small brass horn. He is playing with seven other adults.

Fred seemed determined to be more than a farmer. After high school graduation he attended Central Normal School (now Central Michigan University). In the college annual of 1912, he is singing in a large chorus. So, music was very much a part of his life.

At Central, he met his future wife, Lena Sawyer, who he married June 19, 1913, after graduation and beginning work as a teacher in Cadillac, Michigan. Soon their first daughter, Irene, was born in Boon, Michigan, near Cadillac. Fred moved the family to Ludington and then back to Cadillac around 1917.

Fred seemed to realize teaching would not help him do what he wanted. An article in the "Garage Journal" of 1917 states that Fred Vandemark is "Fitting out a filling station." Now we would call that a gas station. Then, in 1918, another article in the "Truck Journal" stated that Fred Vandemark had just been awarded the dealership in Cadillac for Acme Trucks.

Then we find Fred, Lena, and Irene on the census record for Chicago, Illinois, where Fred is selling truck parts very successfully. In 1922, a second daughter, Betty Lou, was born, Irene attended school there as did Betty Lou when she was old enough.

Sadly, Fred and Lena's good life did not last. Lena became quite ill and died in 1927 during surgery for ovarian cancer.

In addition to losing his wife, Fred now had two daughters and no one to care for them while he traveled selling parts. So the girls went to Owosso, Michigan, to live with Lena's sister, Mary.

Fred traveled well beyond Chicago as far south as Memphis where he met a secretary for a business he visited. This secretary became his second wife, Helen, who he married in Memphis.

By then, Fred got a job with the Dodge Brothers in 1927 in Detroit, Michigan, where their car manufacturing facility was located. He moved his growing family there and the girls rejoined him. There Fred and Helen had a son.

Soon, with his contacts with the Dodge Brothers, Fred obtained a Dodge dealership in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1929 during the beginnings of the Great Depression. Fred did very well selling many vehicles until 1935 when the bank holding all of his money closed suddenly leaving Fred with no cash. (The FDIC was formed after the huge number of bank closures at that time.)

While Fred stayed on selling cars, he had lost ownership of the dealership. About the same time, word came to Fred and Helen that Helen's parents were having difficulty paying the taxes on their small farm near Memphis. So, Fred and Helen seeing no future where they were, packed up their family and moved to Tennessee.

Fred took a job selling automobiles in downtown Memphis driving 20 miles each way to the farm daily with Helen managing the farm for her elderly parents. Very successful in selling whatever he attempted, Fred had also made very important contacts with many pioneers in the early businesses in Michigan dealing with powered vehicles.

During World War II, Fred, while too old to enter the military, was asked to consult with the U. S. Army in how to move equipment and material to join the Army in Europe. Through his contacts with Ezra Clark he had great knowledge of how to move heavy material with vehicles. Ezra Clark's father had developed the Clark TruckTractor, a forerunner of the fork lift truck. Working with Ezra, Fred helped the Army to design ways to save time in getting equipment loaded and on its way to the European theater of fighting.

Fred was so successful that when the Clarks developed the fork lift truck in the war, Fred received the very first distributorship in the nation. His territory covered a five state area, Tennsesee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Alabama. Fred was very successful and won many awards as a top producer of selling fork lift trucks.

After retirement in 1960, Fred became a very accomplished wood worker producing some beautiful inlaid woods.

Memphis Press-Scimitar, Thurs, Jan 24, 1980 Fred J. Vandemark, Fork Lift Pioneer

Fred J. Vandemark, 88, of 690 Anderson, an area pioneer in the development of the fork lift truck and owner and president of the ol

• 1892 - Vaughnsville, Ohio
• 1903 - Forest Hill, Pine River, Gratiot, Michigan
• 1912 - Cadillac, Wexford County , Michigan
• 1913 - Boon, Wexford, Michigan
• 1918 - 1927 Chicago, Illinois
• July 1927 - Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee
• 1928 - Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
• 1930 - 1936 - Battle Creek, Michigan
• 1935 - 1980 - Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee