Olive Mae Rogge

Olive Mae (Smith) Rogge was born February 6, 1930 to Oran and Lorena Smith in the family home north of Fowler. She was the third of seven children that included two sets of twins. She had two brothers, and four sisters.

For the first eight years of education, Olive attended Lakeview, a one room school located north of Fowler. She attended Fowler High School and graduated May 1947.

She married Emil S. Rogge on December 24, 1947. After they married, they lived in a house in the North Country, and then moved to town in 1955. They lived on the same corner the rest of their lives and they had four children.

Olive packed her life full: she worked in the bakery, the cleaners, the grocery store, Empire Gas Inc., Bud’s Shamrock, and Jones Oil, sold Avon as well as Mary Kay. After she retired, she took up painting at the age of 62, and every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild has at least one of her paintings. She learned to swim at 60, having decided it was time.

Community service was an important part of Olive’s life. She worked with Cub Scouts as a leader. She taught Sunday School for 30 years, coordinated funeral dinners and kept the prayer chain going. Additionally, she made chili for the Band Parents chili suppers for 15 years and was board member and secretary of the Fowler Historical Society Museum. Olive wrote a weekly column for the Fowler Tribune for many years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Emil S. Rogge; father, Oran W. Smith; mother, Lorena L. Smith; brother, William Smith; sisters, Betty Black, Illene Black and Kay Varner; grandson, Lucas Rogge; great granddaughter, Kinsley Rogge.

She is survived by sister, Patty Ann (Tom) Watson; brother, Ray (Betty) Smith; children Sam (Jill) Rogge, Gary (Debby) Rogge, Steven (Jeanette) Rogge, Bonnie (Michael) Housh; Grandchildren, Shamay (Darren) Smith, Jessica (Joshua) Freeman, Jace (Toni) Rogge, Mathew Rogge, Joshua (Elizabeth) Rogge, Katherine Rogge, Courtney (Craig) Vanderau, Clinton Housh, Alexander Housh, Tamara Housh; great grandchildren, Kaitlyn Smith, Hailey Smith, Julia Freeman, Josie Freeman, Logan Rogge, Keaton Rogge, Trayton Rogge

She passed away December 24, 2020. Emil and Olive’s 73rd wedding anniversary.

Olive was an independent and accomplished woman. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother.

Graveside services will be Tuesday, January 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Fowler Cemetery with Reverend Wayne Josephson of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Fowler officiating.

Memorials may be made to the Fowler Historical Society or Trinity Lutheran Church of Fowler direct or through the funeral Home.

Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.