It was confirmed today that a beloved community figure of Minden, John Agan, 61, passed away. Agan was many things, first and foremost a Christian, but also a historian, author, teacher, and a contributor to this very newspaper.
In a quote from Agan’s Facebook page, he stated, “I just want to do what I can to help others and let the love of Jesus show through me. I want people to realize that Christ is all about love and we should all try to make the world a better place for everyone.”
Most readers are probably aware of who Agan was, but to the uninitiated, Agan has served Minden throughout the years in a variety of in different ways, whether that was by sitting on local boards, through his church family at First Baptist, or by helping people find their family roots in the Webster Parish Library’s genealogy department.
But what Agan achieved most critical acclaim for locally was his robust and expansive knowledge about the area and its history. He has penned a total of eight books on our local history, on top of contributing weekly columns titled “Echoes of Our Past” to the Minden Press-Herald since the year 2000, which explored various aspects about Webster Parish and its surprisingly expansive history.
Years ago, Agan was made Parish Historian by the Webster Parish Police Jury.
On top of that, he has also contributed his historical knowledge to the benefit of our local museums. Schelley Francis, Director of the Dorcheat Historical Museum, stated that she believes the Dorcheat Museum would not have been what it is today without Agan’s help.
“I will venture to say that the Dorcheat Museum would have never taken off like it has without the knowledge of this man. He has helped us to get the stories told. I would not have the knowledge of our history and I dare say neither would most of you without him,” said Francis.
“He has helped with almost every aspect of the Dorcheat museum from the very beginning. He also has been equally involved with the Germantown [Colony] Museum. He has answered my countless questions, while I compiled local history books and conducted tours. He knows our local history as if he was alive during that era of time. After the passing of Mrs. Thomas Campbell, our last official historian, he and his late mother were the force that has kept Minden’s history alive for us over the last 20-plus years.”
Funeral services for John Agan are still pending at the time of writing.