Bellaire, Louis 1887-1977

BELLAIRE, GALLAGHER

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/8/2020 at 09:27:08

From: Le Mars Daily Sentinel, March 18, 1977

Louis Bellaire dead at 89; was early day businessman

Louis Bellaire, 89, who had lived in Le Mars the last several years, died Thursday (March 17, 1977) at Sunrise Manor, Sioux City, after a brief illness.

Mr. Bellaire had been making his home at the Abbey in Le Mars when he became ill two weeks ago. He was transferred Wednesday to the Sioux City nursing home where he died.

He was born Dec. 22, 1887, at Winona, Minn. His mother, Anna Bellaire was organist at St. Joseph’s Catholic church, Le Mars, for 60 years.

His marriage to Vivian Gallagher took place at St. James church in Le Mars, Jan. 17, 1912. The couple returned to Le Mars in 1972 and observed their 60th wedding anniversary in the hometown where they were raised, met and married.

Mrs. Bellaire died May 22, 1976, in Le Mars.

Mr. Bellaire came to live in Le Mars from Winona, Minn., when he was six weeks old. After attending St. Joseph school here, Mr. Bellaire became a merchant.

Mr. Bellaire is a charter member of Trinity council Knights of Columbus and Le Mars Lions club. He was also a member of the Elks club.

Before his marriage, he attended Loras college, Dubuque, and St. Louis university.

He returned to Le Mars in 1912 and opened the Fair variety store in the building now occupied by Lynn’s Card and Gift shop.

The next year, in 1919, Mr. Bellaire sold the Fair store to Carl Petry and joined his mother Anna Bellaire in business. They opened the Bellaire piano store across the street in what is now the Mid-Way tavern.

The piano store building was sold to Joe Duster in 1938 and Mr. and Mrs. Bellaire moved to Sioux City.

The family lived in Sioux City from 1928 to 1945 when they moved to New York where he was in the furniture business. They retired in Daytona Beach, Fla., and then to Le Mars.

Mr. Bellaire was a member of the Le Mars municipal band for 25 years.

Both of the couple’s sons were born in Le Mars. Robert was a foreign correspondent during world war 2. He was in Japan when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima He was later killed in an auto accident in Japan.

Funeral services will be Saturday at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic church, Le Mars. Rev. Francis Staber will officiate and burial will be in Calvary cemetery under direction of the Luedtke funeral home in Le Mars.

The parish rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. Friday.

Survivors are a son, Arthur of New York; a sister, Mrs. George VandeCarr, Osmnd Beach, Fla.; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Casketbearers will be Glen Siple, Lowell Day, Norris Hawkins, Wd Woll, Edwin Sitzmann and Charles Wiley.