Our grandfather John Vanderplough (1891-1958) was born in Decatur, Michigan, the son of Lewis Vanderplough (1867-1921) and Dora A. Jager (1870-1950) who had migrated from the Netherlands to Western Michigan. On November 26, 1901, he married Anna Mullard (1893-1923) at Cassopolis, Michigan. They had one child, Louis Vanderplough (1911-1986,) who was known in the family at “Dutch”. On March 13, 1924, John married Evelyn Tuckwood (1904-1980) at Paw Paw, Michigan. Her parents were Franklin William Tuckwood and Helen Agnes Burgoyne, who was a direct descendant of General John Burgoyne on the British side in the Revolutionary War. Helen divorced Frank and married Louis Krick in 1919. They had two children: John “Jack” William Vanderplough (1924-1996) and Robert C. Vanderplough (1926-1985).

John and Evelyn moved to Michigan City, Indiana, where they opened Van’s Cigar Store in the late 1930s. Besides offering a full range of tobacco products, Van’s also had magazines, newspapers, comic books, novelties, assorted snacks, milk, and ice cream. In the back was a billiards area with four pool tables.