With deepest sorrow we announce that Robert L. Vogel, age 89, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at Box Butte General Hospital from pneumonia complications.
Bob was born December 16, 1930 in Bridgeport, Nebraska to Jacob and Millie (Deines) Vogel and worked on the family farm until enlisting in the Navy where he served as a Gunners Mate, 3rd Class during the Korean War from 1951-54.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he returned home where he joined his brother Leonard in farming together near Alliance. He married Shirley Reitz on March 14, 1959 in Gering, Nebraska. Bob farmed for 40 years where he received numerous Top 10 sugar beet producer awards from Great Western Sugar.
Bob had been a member of Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church since 1960. He loved his family, which now has grown to 27 and enjoyed the get togethers with them since his retirement. He also loved traveling and visited places like Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii, Florida and California.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Vogel of Alliance; his children, Vicki (Lance) Jordan of Ashland, Nebraska, Valerie (Larry) Holmes of Lincoln, Nebraska, Rob (Jean) Vogel of Centennial, Colorado and Rod (Brenda) Vogel of Naples, Florida; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Howard (Shirley) Vogel of Gering, Nebraska; sisters, Jurene Turpin of Twin Falls, Idaho, Ruth (Wilbert) Schledewitz of Gering, Nebraska, Janice Henkel of Walnut Creek, California, Sandra Jines of Mesa, Arizona and Betty (Robert) Duncan of Bayard, Nebraska; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Edward, Richard, Delbert, Donald, Leonard and Elwood, and his sisters, Benita, Dorothy and Helen.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, January 10, 2020 at the Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church. Reverends Richard C. Mueller and Martin T. Schnare will officiate. Burial will follow at the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance. Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be Thursday, January 9, 2020 from 5-7 p.m. at the Bates-Gould Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorials in Robert’s honor be made to the Immanuel Lutheran School in Alliance.
Online condolences can be left at www.batesgould.com. Bates-Gould Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.