Ruth Vogel

Ruth Vogel, 97, of Monroe passed away on March 14th at the Freeman Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 18th, at First Church of God in Marion. Visitation will be from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Friday evening at the church.

The Service will be streamed on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/marionchog

Mom wrote this herself :

I was born to Wilhelm and Lydia (Graff) Goossen in a small house in McCook county 7 miles north of Marion, SD on February 28, 1926. I attended rural school and had to learn to speak the English Language. We spoke German at home. While growing up I enjoyed helping my Dad on the farm. I milked cows by hand, drove two horses in front of a two-wheel cart, cultivated corn with an Allis Chalmer tractor, and did all kinds of other work that needed to be done.

I graduated from Monroe High School in 1944. I was shy and reserved. I studied a lot and graduated with honor -as they would say today. After high school I attended Eastern Normal -now Dakota State University-for five weeks. Since this was during WW II this enabled me to teach in a rural school. I taught two years at Home District No. 3 located 8 miles northeast of Parker. I had 8th grade boys taller than me.

I met my husband, Leslie, when he came to our farm looking for a hand corn picking job in 1943. My dad needed help picking corn and someone had told Leslie about the job. We were married May 20th 1945. In 1946 we moved to a farm north of Monroe that my dad had rented for us. We had no electricity, no running water and no furnace. In the early 1950’s we got electricity and in 1961 we got running water.

We continued to update the farm. After Leslie passed on March 7th 2003, I continued living on the farm.

For years I enjoyed teaching the 2-3 year old Sunday school class and helping with Bible School. I wanted our children in church to have a Wednesday night program so they could learn about Jesus and what He did for them. I have been a life time member of the First Church of God.

It was always a fun day when we brought baby chickens home. Our children liked holding them. We did gunnie sacks full of sweet corn every year and I had a goal of 100 quarts of beans canned every summer. We also had roosters to put in the freezer every year. Back then we did not have disposable diapers. I washed hundreds of cloth diapers. I enjoyed mulberry picking time. It was fun shaking the trees with our neighbors and friends. I made mulberry jam that they say was really good. Oh yes- I cooked in the Monroe School for 8 years. I saw lots of kids go through the line. They told us they liked our meals. Through the years I milked lots of cows. I was both sad and glad when we sold them.

I enjoy spending time with the grandchildren and now the great-grandchildren.

Mom’s strong faith and desire to work taught us about life.

She is survived by her children: Joyce (Ron Good), Darleen Nelson, William (Billy) Vogel, daughter-in-law Ginny Vogel, her sister Orpah DeGroot, brother Walter Goossen (Jeannette), good friend Bev Vogel, 13 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren. She is also survived by a host of relatives and friends.

Greeting her at heaven’s door were her husband Leslie, son Ronnie, son-in-law Darrell Nelson, Grandson Joseph, Great Grandson Mitchell, her parents Willie and Lydia, and sister Dena.