September 6, 1940 —January 6, 2025
John Wendell Mandigo, 84, of Bertram passed away January 6, 2025.
Funeral services were held on January 14, 2025 at First Baptist Church in Bertram, Texas. Interment was in Bear Creek Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, at the church just prior to the start of the service.
He was born in Syracuse, New York to Bernice Eva & John Cortland Mandigo on September 6, 1940.
He served in the United State Marines Corp, was Fire Chief for the Bertram Volunteer Fire Department for 15 years and was a Councilman for the City of Bertram.
John started Confidential Investigation Inc., a vehicle accident recreation company. He decided long ago that this was needed in order to get accurate information in a timely manner. Being in the fire department he saw many accidents and family members never getting answers. You might say this was a calling.
John drove 18 wheelers and enjoyed the ride. He traveled all over the United State and was a mechanic. He helped his community with repairs and very rarely charged anything at all.
One word that describes John the best is stoic. Everything about him was stoic. Calm and controlled. His stoic demeanor was sometimes hard to read, and could oftentimes be misunderstood as lack of caring, but he definitely cared deeply for the friends and family in his life. Life threw him curve balls many times and no matter what he faced, from deaths of loved ones to health issues, his attitude, demeanor and faith in God were solid and unchanged. We always heard stories about his wild days and wild behavior during his younger years, and it’s hard to imagine because that is so far from the man we have known our entire life. He lived his life with a marine mindset, honor, courage and commitment. The world is certainly less interesting with him gone.
He is survived by his daughter Theresa Martin of Willis; grandchildren, Brandon Lilly and wife Jessica of Willis, Patrick Lilly and wife Nicole of Cleveland, Matt Martin of Port O’Connor, Terry Martin and wife Sherry of Lake Buchannan; Charlotte Landry of Belton; great grandchildren, Morgan Lilly, Robert and Nancy Lilly, Karalena, Sierra, Blake, Cutter and Kayla Martin, Zack Martin, Jacob Rogers and Jordyn Landry, Kylee and Caitlyn Martin, Chloe Lilly; 12 great-great grandchildren; sister, Gail Newcomb of Colorado. John is also survived by many nieces and nephews as well as many other relatives and close friends.
John is preceded in death by his parents, John & Bernice Mandigo’ his wife, Rosalee Mandigo; his sons, Michael Martin, Marion Martin Jr., Larry Martin, Patrick (Rick) Mandigo, and Jeff Martin; daughter, Noone; grandsons, Bobby Lilly, Dylan Martin; brother, Leon Mandigo; sisters, Nancy Oster and Susan Muncy.
