Scholar, Conservationist, Soldier of Fortune Succumbs
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Death came on the side of a volcano in Costa Rica Scholar, conservationist, soldier of fortune succumbs By TOM McELENEY News Staff Writer aragua, The couple made their During the summer of 1964, struction of a sawmill on a barge to take part. They were delayed home in the Jungle of this country. DeBoer received his instrument that is now in operation there. by bad weather as the Red Cross Dirk DeBoer, 38, a former rating and commercial flying li Other similar barges are being After they settled, Dirk brought started their part of the search resident of St. Johns, from 1934 cense. Having obtained his pri built at this time. with 50 men taking part. to 1953, was killed Nov. 5 when his logging crew and equipment vate flying license in 1952, Early In November of this up a river to a point nearest , Many people say turnabout is the plane in which he was flying DeBoer had logged over 4,600 year, DeBoer was sent to Costa fair play and this certainly crashed Into the Poas volcano his timber property. From there, hours of flying time prior to the Rica to look oyer some timber he built a road 50 miles through applied to the search for Dirk near San Jose, Costa Rica. plane crash_ on Nov. 5, A great tracts that were for lease. DeBoer and his compatriots. the jungle. He also built three share of these hours had been DeBoer, employed by the logging camps and constructed He, along with Minas and Civil Air Partol planes joined logged over mountain ranges and Henker. left San Jose In a rented in the search with Costa Ricans Boise-Cascade Lumber Co. out two landing strips by dredging jungles. of Boise, Idaho, was accompanied gravel from the bottom of the plane .for Limon, Costa Rica on serving as observers. Some of on the flight by Richard Minas same river that brought him to Fall of 1964 brought DeBoer Nov. 4. these observers . walked miles and George Henker. who were where he had settled. The gravel to work for V.A. Plywood Corp. The next morning, the trio was to offer their services. Many also killed in the crash. was used as a solid base for the as a project engineer. They sent looking over timber tracts when times, DeBoer was called upon air strip. him to South America on many the weather turned bad and caused to use his plane and other pieces , DeBoer graduated from Rodney trips. the plane to crash head-on into of equipment during hurricanes B. Wilson High School in St. Dirk and his wife built a cabin In 1965, it was off to Calabar, the side of the volcano. The and floods in the.same area. Johns in 1949 and entered-Mich for themselves which was com Nigeria to oversee the construc weather eventually 6tayed rainy A man who had gone down in igan State College's School oi fortably furnished with a three- tion and operation of a $41/2 and bad for several days after his own plane six months before Forestry. He graduated from burner wood stove and a kero million logging and veneering the plane crashed. and walked out of the jungle in , MSC in 1953 and spent the next sene refrigerator. Lighting was complex. It was completed in the 11 days flew in to offer his plane two years in the army. obtained with the use of a gas Spring of 1967. Mrs. DeBoer was informed on and services in the search. generator. But, disaster struckl The first Nov. 7 that the plane was 48 Several ham radio operators He successfully completed the hours overdue but that' she in the Lansing and Okemos area combat Ranger course and left shipload of logs got out of the On Jan. 1, 1962, a son was country just before the Nigerian shouldn't worry too much because kept the DeBoer family on top the army as a 1st Lieutenant delivered to the DeBoers by Mel there were plenty of places along of the search efforts. On Nov. in the infantry in June of 1955. Civil War began. The DeBoer, Neill, a missionary-doctor who family left on the last boat out.' the coast of Costa Rica where 12, the tragic news came to the had married the couple in 1960. the men could have landed til family via the radio of a Mr. DeBoer then began his trek From Nigeria, it was on to Peru January of 1963 saw DeBoer sell and the head waters of the Ama the weather broke. John Sheldon. through South America. He spent his logging business and move DeBoer's family were very two years logging in Nicaragua zon River for several months. At one time, there were 50 his small family to New London, confident that even If the plane ham operators monitoring the before he obtained financialback- Conn, where he entered Yale Gaining employment wittf the did crash In the jungle, the men ing from the Rpberson Lumber correct frequency for informa University. Boise-Cascade Lumber Co. In would make it to safety if they tion on the search. Co. in New Orleans and started 1968, DeBoer was off to the Phil weren't hurt. NEWS OF THE CRASH his own contracting business. - The whole saga isn't finished, He eventually obtained his ippines for five months and then On Nov. 10, Mrs. DeBoer and. yet. master's degree from Yale in back Into South America to Peru, her father left Boise for Costa He was married to Patricia The day the wrecked plane was forestry. A daughter, Robin, was Ecuador and Columbia. Rica to help in the search. found with the bodies of the three The Costa Rican newspapers carried extensive accounts of the air Lee McCants of Newcomer stown, born while they lived in New In Columbia, DeBoer was the Three planes from the Panama plane tragedy that cost the life of a former St. Johns resident. Ohio on Nov. 11, 1960, in Nic London. designer and overseer of the con Canal Air Rescue also arrived Continued on Page 2A City Commission closes McConnell By TOM McELENEY city needed them and not to stock News Staff Writer pile them, as was being thought of by the commission. All were 115th Year, No. 33 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1970 15 CENTS Monday night's regular meet in agreement. ing of the St. Johns City Com Other business at Monday's mission might have been short meeting included: but it did accomplish a few things. • •—unanimous approval of the Commissioners, after listen commission to havaallcityprop- Slippery roads, snow ing to comments from neighbors erty appraised on an annual basis. in the junior high school area, —approval to have Consumers unanimously approved a motion to Power Co. look into the erection close McConnell St. between of a street light In the 800 block Church and Clinton Streets' from of West Cass Street, This pro cause Clinton accidents 11 a.m. to 1 p m. during every cedure Involves getting a qual school day until the end of the ified recommendation from Con current school year. sumers on ^feasibility of the Snow came to Clinton County After knocking the sign post west side of the highway, No light installment. down, the Makl car proceeded to injuries were reported. The closing was done so as Friday and brought with It a to allow the students a place to few accidents caused by slippery knock over a reflector sign as Fulton was charged with im —permission for Weatherwax well No charges were filed proper parking and Wylie was play at lunchtime. A trial period to issue "a" check in the amount road conditions. of 60 days had expired since the At 11:20 p.m. on Thursday against Makl. charged with failure to stop In of $2,496 to Cowan Lincoln-Mer a safe and assured distance, ac commission last dealt with the cury for the purchase of a new night, David W. Makl, 17. 404 proposition E. Sturgis, St. Johns, was head Greenbush Township was the cording to Sheriff's reports. police patrol car that arrived in scene of another accident Friday St. Johns on Monday. ing south on US-27 near Livings US-27 just south of St. Johns City Police Chief Everett* at 6:50 p m., again on US-27 near was again the scene of an ac ton Rd. in Greenbush Township Mead Rd. Glazier, who earlier had recom when he lost control of his car cident on Sunday morning at 1 mended that no closing be ef —vacation of the alley running and hit a sign post on the side a.m. fected, said, •parallel to State St, and Walker of the highway. A truck driven by James E. According to Sheriff's reports, St. between Scott Road on the Fulton, 42, 7633 Julie Drive, a car driven by Carlton E. east and the now-vacated White Portage, was parked In the "The closing of McConnell Andrus, 23, Rt. 6, St. Johns Street during the noon hour is Street on the west. passing lane of the southbound sideswlped a car driven by Dortha TNW side of US-27. He was in the alright but it shouldn't last any L. Hickerson, 56, 12510 DeWltt longer than that." —approval to pay warrants process of trying to help a Rd., DeWltt. totaling $74,335.56. ' motorist who had gone into the The accidents occurred about a The commissioners received a The Clinton County News median because of the slippery condition of the highway, quarter mile south of Webb Rd.