Elvira “Vera” Wilhelmina Alvina (nee Schneider) Vogel, born on November 5, 1923 in Lenzburg, Illinois, passed away on January 4, 2019 at Cedarhurst in Edwardsville, Illinois. A daughter of Emil P. and Regina C. (nee Moeller) Schneider, she married Martin E. Vogel on November 18, 1950 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Athens Illinois. He preceded her in death on March 17, 2009. She was also preceded in death by her parents, her oldest son, Jonathan Vogel MD (October 30, 2010), and five brothers, Arnold (Edna) Schneider, Wilbert (Linda) Schneider, Emil (Marjorie) Schneider, Paul Schneider, and Walter Schneider, two sisters, Verna (Bud) King, Viola (Henry) Falchetti, in-laws Carl (Wilma) Vogel, Charles Crismon, and Eugene (Bernice) Friedrichsmeyer.
Vera is survived by one son, Frederick “Rick” Vogel and wife Marcelle of Western Springs, Illinois; two daughters, Kay Krebs and husband Greg of Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Lyn Kampwerth and husband Randy of Edwardsville, Illinois; daughter-in-law Elizabeth “Betsy” Falloon of Bethesda, Maryland; nine grandchildren Nora (Jared Paul), Hannah, Max, Justin, Steven Vogel, Ellen Krebs, and Paul, Joel, and Lia Kampwerth, and in-laws Marguerite Schneider, Lorraine Schneider, and Lorene Crismon.
Vera grew up on a farm outside of Lenzburg, Illinois and helped primarily by taking care of younger sisters and a bedridden maternal grandmother, as well as laundry, gardening, and other chores. She attended local schools in Lenzburg and last two years of high school in New Athens. After high school, she worked in the local shoe factory for a few years and later at Mallinckrodt Chemicals in St. Louis. She worked there during WW2 years and became executive secretary for the chief executive which required US security clearance in which US government officials came to Lenzburg to conduct a background check on her. She met Martin while she performed in a play put on by Lutheran Walther League (youth group) where he was in attendance. After they were married, she moved to Posey in 1950 and raised four kids.
Vera was active and held various offices in Ladies Aid, LWML, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman Illinois, and she taught Sunday school for many years. She also did administrative work alongside Martin at Vogel Elevator in Posey. In the later years of life in Posey, she volunteered weekly at Nice Twice in Mt. Vernon, and traveled as much as possible to see her children and grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 8 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman, with Pastor Joe Lecke officiating. Interment will follow in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. Friends may call at Zieren Funeral Home on Monday, January 7 from 4:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., and at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman on Tuesday from 9:30 A.M. until service time. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Mrs. Vogel are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church or to the donor’s favorite charity and will be received at the funeral home.
Online condolences may by shared with the family by visiting www.ZierenFuneralHome.com.
