White Funeral Home
1315 Main Street
Jesup, Iowa 50648

JESUP – Mary Dorothy (Ehr) Vogel, 93 years old, of Independence, Iowa, and formerly of Jesup, Iowa, passed away peacefully of natural causes, on May 3, 2026, surrounded by her family at Lexington Estates in Independence, Iowa.

Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. – Friday, May 8, 2026, at St. Athanasius Catholic Church, Jesup, with burial in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 7, 2026, at White Funeral Home, Jesup, where there will be a Catholic Daughters of the Americas Rosary said at 3:00 p.m. and a Parish Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue for an hour before services, Friday, at the church.

Memorials may be directed to St. Athanasius Church or the National Shrine of St. Jude.

Mary was born on June 25, 1932, in rural Black Hawk County, Iowa, the daughter of Irvin Nicholas and Marie Ann (Staebell) Ehr. She graduated from Good Counsel Academy in Mankato, Minnesota in 1950, and then attended Mercy School of Nursing in Dubuque, Iowa, and graduated in 1954.

Mary worked at St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa, after graduation, and then worked for several years at Peoples Memorial Hospital in Independence. On April 23, 1955, Mary was united in marriage to Richard George Vogel at St. Athanasius Catholic Church in Jesup. They had 6 boys and farmed for 36 years. They retired and moved into Jesup in 1990 and then to Oakview Retirement Community in Independence in 2014. Rich and Mary recently celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in April.

Mary did lots of volunteer work, helping the school nurse at St. Athanasius in Jesup, teaching CCD and working at the Salvation Army in Waterloo. Her hobbies were crocheting, knitting, crafts, playing board games, cards and bridge; as well as baby-sitting the grandchildren when needed. The grandchildren were her pride and joy! Mary was a member of St. Athanasius Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters of the Americas St. Pius X Court #1714, both of Jesup, and the Dubuque Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women.

She will be most remembered for her love of her family and her deep faith. She was very dedicated to prayer and often prayed for the benefit of others. The light of her devotion continues to shine in the hearts of all who were blessed to walk beside her.

Mary is survived by her husband of 71 years, Richard Vogel of Independence; her sons Mark Vogel of Jesup, Kurt (Yvette) Vogel of Jesup, Bart (Gin) Vogel of Fairbank, Iowa, Rock (Rayann) Vogel of Jesup, and Luke (Karol) Vogel of West Des Moines, Iowa; 16 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; and 2 sisters-in-law, Patricia Ehr of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Jeannie Ehr of Jesup.

She was preceded in death by her son Karl; her parents and her siblings, Fr. Donald Ehr, SVD, Ronnie (Mary Jean) Ehr, Marlene (Bernard) Chaudoir, I. James Ehr, and Francis Ehr.

Condolences may be placed at www.White-MtHope.com.
White Funeral Home, Jesup, Iowa, is assisting the family with arrangements.