LUCILLE E. (JUNGST) VOGEL
Lucille Elizabeth (Jungst) Vogel was born to Arthur and Letha (Gunn) Jungst September 12, 1921 in the same home in which her father was born, located in rural Afton. She graduated from Afton High School in 1939 and began teaching that same fall in rural Union County Schools. She was too young to sign a contract so taught for two weeks without a contract, but still got paid.
She was married to Henry Louis Vogel April 21,1942, and passed to her eternal rest on the same date in 2019, eager to celebrate her 77th anniversary with Henry. Three sons were born to this union. Lucille and Henry operated a family farm near Afton and Lucille was also a homemaker, wife, mother, volunteer and lifelong teacher.
At a time when many women her age didn’t graduate from high school, she went on to graduate from Creston Community College in 1960 and Drake University in 1979. She retired in 1984 after 33 years in classrooms in Arispe, Shannon City and Afton.
Lucille then pursued hobbies in oil painting, crochet, cross stitch and other crafts. She enjoyed researching and documenting family history and was proud to trace her lineage back to 1399. She was active in Creston Area Retired School Personnel Association and the Blue Grass Visual Arts Guild.
Due to her husband’s illness, she moved from the family farm to Creston in 1995. Henry died in 1997 and she moved to Auburn, Nebraska in 2005 to live near family.
She was an active member of the Catholic church in whatever community she resided, including St. Edward’s (Afton), Holy Spirit (Creston), St. Joseph’s (Auburn), and St. Leo’s (Grand Island). She volunteered at schools in Creston and Auburn. Upon moving to Riverside Independent Living in Grand Island in 2011 she showed that you are never too old to make new friends, helping to orient new residents, teaching them various card and board games and Wii bowling. She was a fierce competitor to the end. She was an excellent writer, with weekly missals to family and friends, monthly pieces in the Riverside newsletter and regular stories in the Afton Star, as well as documenting all of her life memories for her family. She was an avid collector of all things owl. She loved being close to her grandchildren and great grandchildren and actively bragged on their talents.
Lucille was preceded in death by parents, Arthur and Letha (Gunn) Jungst, husband Henry, son Henry Jr and wife Nancy, sisters and husbands Grace and Earl Bills, Ellen and Lloyd Kendall, brother Edward and wife Frances and sister-in-law Bettie Jungst.
She is survived by sons Roger (Linda) Vogel of Grand Island and Stan (Mary) Vogel of Omaha, Neb.; grandchildren Jennifer (Jeff) King and Valerie (Jeff) Chmelka, Joe (Jennifer) Vogel Fort Hood, Texas and Ryan (Sarah) Vogel Omaha, and great grandchildren Abbey, Maddey and Alex King, Delaney, Connor and Claire Chmelka, all of Grand Island. She also leaves behind brother Robert (Betty) Jungst of Creston, Iowa and Richard Jungst of Littleton, Colo., special “almost” sons Bob Lee and Jim Mulvihill, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, countless friends of all ages, and her beloved goose, Penelope.
Funeral services are being provided by Pearson Family Funeral Service of Creston, Iowa. Memories can be shared online at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com. The rosary was said Thursday, April 25th at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Afton, Iowa, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial. Fr. Ken Halbur was Celebrant.
Internment was at St. Edward’s Catholic Cemetery with a luncheon following.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to benefit the East Union Schools Elementary Library of Afton, Calvert Elementary School Library in Auburn, the Riverside library of Grand Island, or donor’s choice.
A Memorial Service was held Monday, April 29, 2019 in the Woodland Room of the Riverside Lodge,Grand Island.