John Bascum Park

    I was born in Ocoee, Tennesse in 1919. When I was 6 years old my father, mother and 3 year old sister,  Joel Deen, moved to Vero Beach, Florida. My father got a job building State Road 60. My mother did not want to be left in town so she got a job as the cook for the work crew. At that time it was very dangerous west of town because of alligators, snakes and wild boar. She was given a gun and told to shoot the gun if she needed help. 

    I attended public school in Indian River County. I graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1938. While going to school I worked at the Florida Theatre as an usher and then Assistant Manager.

    After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942 I enlisted in the Armed Forces. 

    On July 12, 1942 I married Audrey Berggren, my high school sweetheart. We were married at her parents home at 2020 Cortez in Vero Beach. My sister Joel Deen and her husband Lewis Fresh were the witnesses. Rev. Lewis Gerbhardt performed the marriage. We honeymooned at the cottages on the beach.

    After the war Audrey & I owned and managed the Berggren's Variety Store in Ft. Pierce, Florida. In 1947 I built our first home at 605 Texas Court in Ft.Pierce. Later, in 1959,  I built our larger home at 1206 South 11th Street in Ft. Pierce, Florida.

    I managed the Rotary Little League Team for 16 years.

    I ran for office in 1964 and was elected to the County Commission in St. Lucie County. I served for 16 years and during that time I  served as Chairman of the Commission. While a member of the County Commission the county acquired property on Virginia Avenue that later became the Lawnwood Recreation Center and the new Civic Center and Administration Office. were built.

    We bought property in North Carolina and I started building a cabin there in the late 1970's. We were fortunate for the next 28 years because Audrey and I were able to spend 6 months of the year in North Carolina and 6 months in Florida.