Koger, Vondell M. Spencer - 1923-2012

CRAWFORD, EVANS, GURNEY, HATCHER, HIBBS, HOLTET, JOHNS, JOHNSON, KOGER, KRIEGEL, LEWIS, MCKINLEY, MURPHY, NEELY, OLSON, REDDING, RIMMER, SHONING, SPENCER, STINSON, WILLIAMS

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 8/16/2024 at 10:42:16

Vondell M. Koger, formerly of Grinnell, died October 23, 2012, at Kennybrook Village in Grimes where she had lived since May.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 27, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell, with Elders Raymond and Jimme Webb, Primitive Baptist Church, officiating. Pianist will be Erika Johnson. Pallbearers will be Brian Evans, Dan Gurney, Travis Johnson, Chuck and Eric Koger, and Ben Olson. Burial will be in the Rock Creek Cemetery, rural Jasper County, near Grinnell.
Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be designated to Iowa Health Home Hospice in Grimes or to the Koger family.
Vondell was born to William Leonard and Molly (Stinson) Spencer on February 28, 1923 in Milan, Missouri. She was the 4th of 7 children.
On May 18, 1940, she married Burton Koger, in Atlanta, Missouri. The couple moved to his farm near Grinnell, where they raised their 7 children. They lived on their farm for almost 50 years until moving to Grinnell due to her husband's poor health.
She was a homemaker and helped design their farm home which they built in 1951. She was also an Avon representative for nearly 40 years and won many awards until she retired at age 84 and moved to the Des Moines area in 2007 to be closer to family.
She enjoyed gardening, her flowers, and traveling; the highlight of her travels being trips to Hawaii and Europe with her brother and sisters and their spouses.
Her church was very important to her; she was a longtime member of the Mt. Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church and was instrumental in starting the church in Grinnell.
She is survived by her children, Barbara (Don) Gurney of Reinbeck, Ronald (Lee) and Shirley Koger of Issaquah, WA, Keith (Sharon) Koger of Hudson, Dale (Deborah) Koger of Spokane, WA, Marilyn (Rick) Hibbs of Ankeny, Karen (Joe) Johnson of Grimes, Jeanne Murphy of Las Vegas, NV; 16 grandchildren, Donna Redding, Gail Lewis, Dan Gurney, Donnie Koger, LeAnne Rimmer, Kim Kriegel, Lisa Kriegel, Eric Koger, Chuck Koger, Carin Johns, Brian Evans, Kelly Shoning, Travis Johnson, Shana Olson, Casey Murphy and Corey Murphy; 31 great grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren; one brother, Billy Spencer; one sister, Betty Hatcher, and Mary Alice Williams; many nieces and nephews; and her husband's nephew and niece, Wayne Koger and Eileen Crawford.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 51 years; a grandson, John Gurney; a great granddaughter, Jessica Kriegel; one brother, Earl Spencer; and three sisters, Arlene Holtet, Jessie Neely, and Carolee McKinley.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Thursday, October 25, 2012, page 7B