Elizabeth Ellen(Howell) Vogan

Elizabeth, age 91, only child of Elizabeth Helen (Feitz) and William Bettridge Howell, embraced a full, love-filled life she shared with Merle, her late husband of over 50 years; children, Helen (Dale) Babcock, Merrie-Ellen Vogan and David (Victoria) Vogan; grandchildren, Beth (Dennis) DeLuca, Jeanne (Russ) Hummel, Stephan (Jamie) Babcock, Daniel (Amanda) Vogan and Eric (Erin) Vogan; great-grandchildren, Sydnye, Austin and Stevie Babcock; Tyler, Andrew, Jace and Elliott Elizabeth Vogan.

After they graduated from DeVilbiss High School, Class of '40, where she met her one-and-only, Elizabeth and Merle had a first all-day date attending, "High School Day" at UT. He enrolled at UT; she enrolled at Toledo Hospital's School of Nursing. Merle thereafter paced back and forth in the lobby of Croxton Hall waiting for her to appear… at least for a while. At that time, nursing students were not allowed to marry, so her stay at Croxton Hall proved to be brief.

World War II separated the couple, so Elizabeth returned with their first daughter to her parents' home for "The Duration." Following the war's end, Elizabeth and Merle added two more children to the mix, so she became the traditional '50s stay-at-home-mom, fixing and hosting holiday dinners, sewing Easter outfits, packing picnic baskets to head to a nearby beach, even driving her fabulous, finned '57 Ford Fairlane on the ice at Luna Pier. (Okay, maybe the car on the ice isn't so "traditional" but we loved it.) After her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Elizabeth returned twice a day to her childhood home to nurse her bed-ridden mother for four years. For years thereafter, Elizabeth went door-to-door in the neighborhood collecting for The American Cancer Society which had been so helpful during her mother's illness.

In the early '60s with all kids grown (almost), Elizabeth faced a nearly "empty nest" so she became a receptionist for John and Berta Morey at Morey Opticians and established a lasting friendship with them both. When the Moreys sold their interest in the business, Elizabeth applied for a similar position with Dr. Allan Miller. She loved every minute working with him, Eileen, Elaine, Lucky, and especially Sue. Unfortunately, Merle's illness necessitated her retirement.

In her post-retirement years, Elizabeth read for hours every day and kept up with the goings-on of the Newmans and Abbotts on The Young and The Restless. She also spent as much time as possible at her lakefront cottage at Bear Lake, Michigan, keeping a close eye on the swans, the Canada Geese… and her neighbors, all of whom brightened her day.

Thank you, EMTers who were invaluable getting Elizabeth to and from The Toledo Hospital.

And no thanks can even come close to expressing Elizabeth's family's indebtedness to Promedica Hospice's team members, Cindy x 2, Tim and Lori. Thank you, nonetheless.

The family will receive guests on Friday, June 20, 2014 from 3-8:00 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. (419-473-0300). Funeral Services will begin in the funeral home on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Entombment will follow in Toledo Memorial Park.