Dorothy Rollins Vogler

Dorothy Edythe Rollins Vogler, 95, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away at 5:15 PM at Manor Court in Carbondale, Illinois on March 12, 2017. Dorothy lived a long life, rich in love, music, grace, and humor.



She was born in Newton, Massachusetts on July 23, 1921, daughter of Ralph Carlton Rollins and Edith Estelle Barker Rollins. She graduated from Waltham High School in 1939.



In her younger years, Dorothy was a superb musician, performing as pianist and vocalist in churches, at special events, and in performances of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. She also played piano for her High School orchestra and continued playing regularly until well into her 90’s.



After high school, Dorothy attended Fisher Business College and taught piano lessons. Later, she worked at the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, MA where she met the love of her life, Edwin William Vogler, Jr. in May of 1943. They went to a Boston Pops concert on their first date where he pulled her to her feet to dance in the middle of the performance beginning a life-long love affair. They were engaged by July and married in October.



In 1946 they moved to Carbondale Illinois where Eddie joined his father at Vogler (Ford) Motor Company. Dorothy embraced life in Southern Illinois raising five children in their historic, Prairie Style home (the Hundley House) on Main Street. She was adored by her husband as a wife, mother, and partner in life.



Dorothy participated in a long list of activities, but the list does not define her life. She was exuberant and spontaneous and her interests were many. Dorothy was a member of the Carbondale First United Methodist Church for over 60 years, serving at various times on the church building committee, the music committee, the women’s bible study group, and as driver of the church bus. In the wider community, she was a board member of the YMCA, president of the PEO, Chapter GX, president of the Carbondale Woman’s Club, president of the Carbondale Amateur Garden Club, and a proud member of the Daniel Brush Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She volunteered at the Pink Geranium shop at Carbondale Memorial Hospital as a part of the hospital auxiliary and delivered meals on wheels to senior citizens for many years. At SIU, she was a strong supporter of MAGA (an SIU museum support organization), a museum volunteer, and a board member for the chamber music series at Southern Illinois University. For her children, she served multiple times as Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout den mother, and was a member and officer of several school PTAs.



Dorothy was not only a musician, but an athlete. As a longtime member of the Jackson Country Club, Dorothy and Eddie played golf regularly and she was proud of her golf trophies. Dorothy was involved in the establishment of the Crab Orchard Sailing Club in 1959, serving as the first woman on the clubs’ Executive Board. Dorothy and Eddie raced their Rebel Sailboat called “Never Too Late” (because Dorothy was always late for everything) in many regattas on Crab Orchard Lake and lakes across the country. She started as crew for Eddie, but eventually she became “skipper” and Eddie became crew. In her 90’s, Dorothy was still playing wiffle ball at family reunions and had her first kayaking experience.



In their 50’s, Eddie and Dorothy took up new musical instruments with Eddie playing the trombone and Dorothy playing the violin. They had an active, fun group of friends and she belonged to the same bridge club for over 50 years. Dorothy also developed into a talented artist, painting porcelain, ceramic tiles, duck decoys, and china doll heads. Her specialty was portrait painting. Dorothy often said that she was a jack of all trades and a master of none, but her family would argue that she actually mastered many things.



Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Edwin Vogler, a brother, Lloyd, and a sister, Doris, who died in infancy, and 2 brothers-in-law, Richard and Donald Vogler.



Her survivors include five children: Virginia “Cookie” Brown (Rick) of Key West, FL; Cynthia Weller (Jim) of Pinehurst, NC; Edwin William “Bill” Vogler III (Jill Rendleman) of Cobden, IL; James Robert Vogler (Linda) of Glencoe, IL; Barbara Jane Doherty (Jeff) of Carbondale, IL; Grandchildren: Erin Weitzell (Roy), James Brown (Kim), Ryan Brown (Sabrina), Lindsey Poulsen (Chris), Dana Donahue (Don), Stacy Weller, Emily Van Voorhis (Aaron), Andrew Vogler (Sarah), Jeffrey Doherty (Brooke), Sarah Gray (Ross), Mary York, Wesley York, Sean York (Emily). Great Grandchildren: Morgan and Dylan Weitzell; Justin Brown; Kieran and Connor Brown; Eadie, Evan and Ellen Poulsen; Benjamin, Lauren, and Matthew Donahue; Hannah Doherty and Liam Elliott; and Sawyer York. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Helen Vogler and Sylvia Vogler and many beloved nieces, nephews and their families.



The Vogler family would like to thank the staff at Manor Court in Carbondale for their constant encouragement and kind and professional care during Dorothy’s year and a half stay at the Manor.



The family asks that any donation in memory of Dorothy be to the First United Methodist Church of Carbondale or The National Stroke Organization. Donations may be sent to the Meredith Funeral Home, 300 S University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901.



Visitation is 10:00 to 12:00 PM on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church, 214 West Main Street, Carbondale, IL. Services will follow the visitation.



To share a story or memory of Dorothy Edythe Rollins Vogler, please visit, www.meredithfh.com.