Monsignor Roland A. Vonder Haar

Vonder Haar, Monsignor Roland A. born November 1, 1920 in St. Louis, MO passed away on Au-gust 16, 2006, at his home in El Paso, TX at age 85.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph H. Vonder Haar and Rose Schneiders Vonder Haar and his sisters, El-vera Winkelmann, Laverne 'Non-nie' Vonder Harr and Doris Zahn; he is survived by his brother Virgil H. Vonder Haar; many nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and nieces, great-grand-nephews and nieces and cousins.
Monsignor Vonder Haar at-tended St. Boniface Catholic Grade School in St. Louis, the St. Louis Cathedral Latin School, St. Louis Prep Seminary and Ken-rick Seminary. He was ordained April 4, 1948 by the Most Reve-rend Joseph F. Ritter. His first assignment was assistant pastor at St. Patrick's Cathedral in El Paso, TX. He was assigned pas-tor of Our Lady of Peace Church in Alpine, TX where he helped found the first Credit Union there. He was then transferred to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Silver City, NM.
In 1961 he returned to El Paso to become the first Rector of St. Charles Borremeo Minor Semi-nary. In 1963 he became pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church and remained there until 1981. During this time Monsignor Vonder Haar was instrumental in the founding of the Child Cri-sis Center of El Paso, the first Crisis Nursery in the State of Texas. His final assignment was St Genevieve Church in Las Cruces, NM. He remained in the Las Cruses Diocese until he re-tired in 1989. He returned to El Paso, served as Assistant Chap-lain at William Beaumont Army Hospital and he continued to minister to the community of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church even until his last months of his life. His life was always one of service and generosity to oth-ers.Services: In lieu of flowers, do-nations may be made to the Child Crisis Center of El Paso, 2100 N. Stevens, El Paso, TX 79930. Visitation at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 25 at St. George Church in Affton prior to a Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. Burial at Mount Olive Cemetery in Lemay. (Arrangements by JOHN L. ZIEGENHEIN & SONS 314-352-2600.