A longtime leader in the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter is stepping down and will be recognized at the next county board meeting.
Frances “Dolly” Devasier in stepping down as VFW Auxiliary Post 9242 Hollister president effective June 30, according to a report provided with the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting at the County Administration Building, 481 Fourth St., Hollister.
The report summarized DeVasier’s involvement as follows:
Frances joined the VFW Auxiliary 9242, on August 25, 1979 on the eligibility of her husband, Marvin DeVasier who served in Vietnam from January 7, 1965 to May 20, 1967.
She has been a member of the VFW Auxiliary 9242 in Hollister for nearly 40 years. Her first term of office as Auxiliary President was July 1, 1981 to June 30, 1982. She has served as president a total of 32 times. Her last term of office as auxiliary president covers the year from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
Over the last 40 years, she as lead the auxiliary in many activities including:
* Annual Easter Egg coloring for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt
* Garage Sales, Annual VFW Crab Feed
* Supervision of the Auxiliary’s Concession Stand at Memorial Park
* Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veteran’s Day and other Patriotic Observances
* Placing flags and wreaths on graves of fallen veterans
She has spend many untold hours assisting local veterans, their families and veteran organizations. If there was a veteran activity going on in Hollister, she was there.
She had led the auxiliary in raising and donating thousands of dollars to many local charities and veterans organizations including (but not limited to):
Emmaus House
Community Pantry
Hollister Senior Center
Homeless Veterans Coalition
Veteran’s Transition Center in Monterey
G. I. Josie (a Castroville based non-profit providing transition services to female veterans)
Women Veteran’s Memorial
Cancer Research
VA Palo Alto Hospital & Clinics
VFW National Home
California Central Coast Veteran’s Cemetery
See a portion of an interview with DeVasier in this San Benito Live video below:
