In the words of our mother, Jeri Vogt, “People who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.” So, mom wanted us to let you know she died on Friday, June 7, 2024, after a six-year hard-fought battle with Myasthenia Gravis and Metastatic Uterine Cancer. Before we go any further, we would like to take an opportunity to apologize to Bath and Body Works for the substantial drop they will see in their annual sales of hand soap and to let the local recycling center know they will need to hire another staff member to take care of the plethora of “could be useful down the road” cardboard boxes mom has collected for years that will soon be coming their way.
Jeri Lou (Nelson) Vogt was born April 23, 1956, to Grandma Kay (Ahart) and Papa Lyell Nelson in Denison. She came home to the family farm in Dow City, where she lived all but two years of her life. She was the eldest of Kay Lou and Lyell’s three children and cherished her role as an older sibling to our Aunt Tammy and Uncle Rick. Mom spent a lot of time in her youth with her grandparents and knew the importance of family. She raised us to closely know and love our grandparents and extended family, something for which we are eternally grateful.
On June 21, 1975, she married our father, Rick Vogt, at the Dow City United Methodist Church. Mom claimed to have chosen the date because it is the “longest day of the year” so Vogt would have plenty of daylight hours to remember their anniversary date. After ten years of marriage, they became parents. Our parents worked hard to build what mom called, “their own little piece of paradise,” and raised us there to be strong, smart, and independent women, like her. She and dad taught us to be proud of our roots and made sure we knew Dow City would always be home.
Her nearly five-decade career at the Crawford County Courthouse began in May 1974, less than one week after she graduated high school. She worked her way through the ranks of the Crawford County Treasurer’s Office and later became County Treasurer in 2004. After 14 years as treasurer, mom decided she was still very devoted to the people of Crawford County and ran for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors. She was the second woman to be elected to the Board in Crawford County’s 173-year history. She retired from the courthouse in December 2022.
Faith and integrity were at the center of mom’s values. She was a lifelong devout member of the Dow City United Methodist Church and served on nearly every board, committee, or in any role she could be talked into at our church. She handled the congregation’s weekly offering as church treasurer for decades. Mom brought us up to be women of faith. Mom consistently told us, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” So, we didn’t speed our way into marriages or children. However, once becoming “Grandma Jeri” to Clark, Marshall, Hazel, and Ada, she was a natural and loved her grandchildren with every fiber of her being. All four of her grandchildren will undoubtedly tell you she was the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) grandma! She made sure every person in our family knew they were loved and that they mattered.
Jeri was greeted at the golden gates of heaven with open arms (and a shuffled and ready to play Euchre deck) by her parents Kay and Lyell Nelson; grandparents Nels and Emma Nelson & Louie and Clara Ahart; father-in-law Gary Vogt; aunts Connie Buss, Irene Lambert, and Ruth Jane Harrington; uncles Jimmy Buss and Snooks Lambert; several cousins; and many others she loved dearly and was excited to see.
Left to keep her light and love shining (and to go through all of the “stuff she saved for us to have to go through someday”) are her husband of 48 years, our wonderful dad, Rick Vogt of Dow City; us, her proud daughters Beth (Mitch) of Dow City and Megan (Nick) of Waverly; her beloved grandchildren Clark, Marshall, and Hazel all of Waverly and Ada of Dow City; mother-in-law Marcelene Vogt of Dow City; siblings Tammy (Tom) Sitzmann of Hinton and Rick (Hollie) Nelson of Dow City; uncles and aunts Louie Clair (Sandi) Ahart of Conroe, Texas and Kyle (Becky) Ahart of Dow City; sisters and brothers-in-law Becky (Ralph) Dorale of Charter Oak, Debi (Randy) Sly of Grimes and Carla Vogt of Denison; nine cousins, 14 nieces and nephews, 35 great-nieces and nephews; her work-family and friends; and SCORES of extended family, chosen family, friends, and acquaintances whose lives she managed to touch with her beautiful smile and kind heart.
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Dow City United Methodist Church of Dow City. Pastor Nikki Ahart and Pastor Aaron Terwilleger will officiate. Committal Services will follow in the Dow City Cemetery of Dow City.
A Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., on Friday, June 14, 2024, at the Dow City United Methodist Church of Dow City.
The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com
Memorials in Jeri’s name may be made to the Dow City-Arion Fire Department, Crawford County Happy Cats Rescue or the Denison City Pound.
