Elder John H. Vandenberg was remembered at his June 6 funeral as a peacemaker, a wise and compassionate leader, a man with integrity and a "razor-sharp mind," and as a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Former Presiding Bishop of the Church and a General Authority emeritus, Elder Vandenberg died June 3 of natural causes. At the funeral in the Crescent 13th Ward meetinghouse, he was eulogized by President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency and Elder Robert L. Simpson, General Authority emeritus. Also speaking were Bishop James Gleason of the ward and Bronco Mendenhall, a grandson.Attending the service were members of the Council of the Twelve, the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric. Also present were General Authorities emeritus, including Elder Simpson and Elder Victor L. Brown, who were counselors to Bishop Vandenberg in the Presiding Bishopric from 1961 until 1972.
In his talk, President Monson read a letter from the First Presidency to Elder Vandenberg's wife, Ariena.
"Elder Vandenberg has lived a long and productive life and has been a faithful servant of the Lord," the First Presidency wrote. "He was an astute businessman and used his business acumen for the good of the Church. From missionary to vice chairman of the Church Building Committee, to Presiding Bishop to Assistant to the Twelve, to the First Quorum of the Seventy, he served with dignity and the highest integrity."
President Monson recalled: "He was a devoted husband, absolutely devoted. He was a doting father to his two daughters; he liked to spoil them as all fathers do. And he was a happy grandpa when these little children would come to him, crawl upon his knee, give him a kiss and say, `I love you, Grandpa.'
"I first became acquainted with Elder Vandenberg when I returned from presiding over the Canadian Mission. Like every mission president I felt my mission was the best in the world."
He said he called on Elder Vandenberg, then vice chairman of the Church Building Committee, seeking approval for construction of a meetinghouse and to continue with the second phase of the building before payments had been completed on the first phase.
"And John, with a smile on his face, pointed to a little sign that he had on his desk. He said, `Why don't you read that, Pres. Monson.' "
It bore a scriptural passage from Luke: "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
"Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him . . ." (Luke 17:28-29.)
"John didn't need to say another word," President Monson continued. "But . . . he is one of the few men I've ever met in my life who could say no with a smile, and you felt good about the answer. It's easy to say yes, but few men can say no when no needs to be said, and John Vandenberg knew how to say it."
President Monson talked of his later association with Elder Vandenberg on the Priesthood Genealogy Committee, and in the welfare program and Scouting.
He said the two were assigned on one occasion to resolve a rivalry between two adjoining wards over which ward would be the location of a new meetinghouse.
"John wisely said to them: `Brethren, Brother Monson and I have come to assist you in solving your problem; let us kneel in prayer.' And in that prayer, John Vandenberg told those warring factions all they needed to know. He used the principle of prayer to preach one of the greatest sermons I have ever heard. I remember one line in which he said, `Father, when we arise from our knees, may there be unity among all of us and thy decision fulfilled.' Well, we found a piece of property, we built the chapel, and he and I were invited to go back and dedicate it.
"Thirteen consecutive times I was with John Vandenberg when he used that same peacemaker approach."
He praised Elder Vandenberg as having "a mind which was sharp as a razor, a great gift from God."
He quoted the recollection of Edwin Burgoyne, clerk of the Ensign Stake when Elder Vandenberg was stake president: "John Vandenberg had one of the finest minds I've ever encountered. He could add in his mind a long column of figures before I could add them on the machine. And he could come up with percentages faster than I could compute them."
"He was a gifted person and he devoted those talents to the service of the Lord," President Monson remarked.
Elder Simpson recalled the funeral of his father at which Bishop Vandenberg spoke.
"He talked about the eternal family, saying it is the very foundation of the plan of salvation, and without eternal families there could be no plan of salvation, and Heavenly Father could not be glorified.
"And then he concluded: `Remember three things. Never forget faith. Faith is the first principle. Number two, obedience, because without obedience there will be nothing, and number three, loyalty.'
"And John Vandenberg was loyal to his Heavenly Father. He was loyal to that covenant he made in the waters of baptism. He was loyal to the priesthood he held. He was loyal to his lovely Ariena, this girl that he loved beyond everything else."
Bishop Gleason, who moved with his family five years ago into a home across the street from the Vandenbergs, recalled: "Elder Vandenberg took great pride in his home and particularly in the plants, shrubs and the lawn, and took fine care of it. . . .The hedge was always trimmed perfectly evenly and smoothly."
He commended Elder Vandenberg for giving his constant companionship to Sister Vandenberg.
"Often we would see them, when their health permitted, going out for a spin in their little blue Mustang. On a fine spring day, they'd put the top down. Elder Vandenberg would put this little white cloth hat on. Ariena would wear a scarf over her hair. We'd see them tooling up and down the road, out for a ride."
Bishop Gleason said Elder Vandenberg, even when his health began to fail, shook his hand with a powerful grip. "His mind was alert and keen, and he taught us the gospel, even in brief conversations."
Grandson Bronco Mendenhall said his grandfather was not well the last few months of his life.
"Several weeks ago he was taken to the hospital in an unconscious condition. And even though he was unconscious, the doctors didn't feel that he was terminal at that particular time. But Grandpa gave them reason to doubt their judgment. As they were desperately trying to revive him, he suddenly sat up. The doctors and nurses stepped back, and he began reciting selected passages from his favorite poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, `Crossing the Bar.'
"The passages which he spoke were
" `Twilight and evening bell,
" `And after that the dark!
" `And may there be no sadness of farewell,
" `When I embark;
" `I hope to see my Pilot face to face
" `When I have crossed the bar.' "
The poem was printed in the funeral program and read by Bishop Gleason at the request of the family.