Mary Ann (Matter) Vogel

Mary Ann (Matter) Vogel, age 88, of Mankato, entered the Kingdom of God on February 15, 2020.

Rite of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 632 South Broad Street, Mankato, MN. Private family interment will be at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Walnut Grove at a later date.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2020 at the Northview-North Mankato Mortuary, 2060 Commerce Drive, North Mankato with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. There will also be visitation at the church from 12 to 1 p.m. prior to the services on Saturday.

Mary Ann, the daughter of August and Luverna (Meyer) Matter, was born at home on the farm on January 26, 1932 in Sundown Township, MN. She graduated from Walnut Grove High School on May 31, 1950. Following graduation, Mary Ann moved to Mankato to attend Johnson’s Academy of Beauty Culture and received her diploma on July 17, 1951. At her classmates urging, she became pen pals with Al Vogel while he was stationed overseas. She married Albert Francis Vogel on June 25, 1955 at St. Paul Catholic Church in Walnut Grove. Albert and Mary Ann lived in Terre Haute, Indiana from 1955 – 1958. During that time Albert received his BS in Business Administration from Indiana State and Mary Ann received her PhT (push hubby through). From 1958 to 1960 the couple resided in Green Bay, WI and from 1960 – 1967 they lived in Alexandria, Minnesota. They moved to Mankato in 1967, where they raised their family.

Mary Ann worked as a beautician until she started her family. She was a homemaker and worked as a playground supervisor at Kennedy elementary. She founded J-Mar studios, a pottery business and ran the business out of her basement. With great respect for the democratic process, Mary Ann served as an election judge for over 45 years. In 1982, she began working at Northwest Fabrics/Hancock Fabrics in retail sales, developed curriculum, and taught classes. After retiring in 1996, she missed her colleagues and customers and returned to work until she was 75. Countless sewers, quilters and crafters attribute their knowledge of their craft to her kind, knowledgeable, and patient tutelage.

Mary Ann enjoyed sewing and quilting, knitting and stitchery, cooking and baking, canning and gardening, traveling and playing cards, especially bridge. She was a 4H leader, Camp Fire Girl leader, and church volunteer. A card shark, she loved playing cards and games with her grandchildren. She was a member of the Mission Circle, Deep Valley Quilters and the American Sewing Guild. Her daughters attribute their success in earning many grand champion ribbons at the county and state fair to their mother. Mary Ann also earned grand champion ribbons in quilting, canning, knitting and stitchery. Above all, Mary Ann was a beloved Mom, Momma, MeMa, Grandma, Great Grandma and GiGi.

In October 2019, Mary Ann, a non-smoker was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She met this diagnosis with grace and dignity. After initially seeking palliative care, she entered hospice in January on her birthday. She died peacefully in her home surrounded by her daughters and family. The family is eternally grateful to all who visited and cared for her during her illness.

She is survived by her daughters, Lynn Vogel, Diane (Kevin) McKelvey, and Nanette Vogel; grandchildren, Sarah (Joe) Domeier, Mathias Turbes, Tobias (Jade Rezmerski) Turbes, Morgan (Danielle) McKelvey, Logan McKelvey, Kelsey McKelvey, Gabrielle McCaa, and Taylor McCaa; great grandchildren, Zaryan and Bodhi McKelvey, Alfie Domeier, Theo Horn, and Lewy Turbes; siblings, Raymond Matter, Dorothy DeSmith, and Virginia Matter, OSB; her sisters in law and brothers in law, Liz Geers, Ruth (George) Barter, Janet (Rick) Scholl and Irene Vogel; and many dear nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 51 years, Albert, sisters in law and brothers in law, June Matter, Edward DeSmith, Maurice Vogel, Mary Louise (Joe) Gallagher, and Jack Geers; and nephews, Michael DeSmith, Gregg DeSmith, Paul DeSmith and Carl Vogel.

Memorials preferred to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mankato; Mayo Clinic Hospice Program, Mankato; St. Paul Monastery, St. Paul.