George Vogt’s wife had to threaten him with mayhem to get him to retire in 2012.
“I finally got him talked into moving, under threat of divorce,” his wife, Sherry, said with a laugh.
“I said to him, ‘Listen, I’m retired, and I’m moving down to be closer to our children and grandkids.’ He just had a hard time giving up working. But I finally talked him into it.”
The Vogts, longtime Festus residents, moved to Nixa two years ago. Sherry said once the decision to go was made, the two thoroughly enjoyed their retirement. They worked together in their garden and spent as much time as possible with their two daughters and three grandchildren.
Mr. Vogt died April 30 at age 69. He had served eight years on the Festus City Council, representing Ward 2.
George and Sherry both grew up in Festus.
“His dad was a shoe repairman, and had a shop on Main Street for many years,” Sherry said. “George worked in there with his dad for a while. I think that’s where he got his work ethic.”
Life in Festus was just about perfect for youngsters in those days; young George was among the many kids who would leave the house in the morning and not come back until dark. He was an active Boy Scout, earning the rank of Eagle.
“Roy Burnside was one of his buddies,” Sherry said. “And of course he hung around with the Vinyards, since at that time their funeral home was next to his dad’s shop.”
The couple started dating when Sherry was a freshman at Festus High School and George was a senior.
“We’ve been together off and on since 1962,” Sherry said. “Fifty-some-odd years together, and we would have been married 45 years in August.”
Mr. Vogt went into the military right after high school, and told his sweetheart not to wait for him.
“He said, ‘I want you to date, go out with people, whatever. I can’t expect you to give up your high school social life,’” Sherry said. “And I did; I dated other people while he was away.
“But we just gravitated back toward one another. I think we were meant to be.”
When Mr. Vogt returned from his military service, the two started up their relationship pretty much where they had left off, and were married in 1969.
Mr. Vogt earned an associate degree at Jefferson College and then a bachelor’s degree at what was then Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield.
After their marriage, he and Sherry settled in Springfield, where he went to work as a production supervisor for French’s Mustard.
“He got transferred to California, and we spent two years there,” Sherry said. “But we couldn’t afford to live in California, so we came back to Missouri.”
Mr. Vogt got on with Wonder Bread in St. Louis, and the family returned to Jefferson County.
“We decided to move back home,” Sherry said. “So we came back to Festus, where our families were. We ended up staying here until we retired.”
Sherry had gone to business school right after high school and worked as a secretary for a few years before taking time off to be a stay-at-home mother to the couple’s two daughters. She later went to work for the Festus School District.
“I worked in the counseling office and retired from there in 2011 after 21 years,” she said.
Her husband decided to run for the Festus City Council and served from 2003 until 2011.
“George was one of the senior members of the council when I became mayor in 2009,” said Festus Mayor Mike Cage. “You know, one day you’re Joe Citizen; the next you’re mayor. There is a real learning curve there, and George was patient, and he really helped me through the process.”
Cage said Mr. Vogt had a strong work ethic.
“That was something about George: If he had a project, he was really on top of it,” Cage said. “If you gave him something to do, it was done. I think he always had the best interest of the city at heart.”
Mr. Vogt was a man of strong opinions and could always back up his position, Cage said.
“If he was opposed to something, he’d bring a very good argument to the table,” Cage said. “If he had a problem with something, he’d have a good reason behind his objection.”
In 2011, Mr. Vogt lost his bid for re-election to the council.
“He enjoyed being on the council,” Sherry said. “I think he was disappointed when he didn’t get re-elected, but that’s just the way of life. He accepted it and moved on.”
Mr. Vogt and his brother, Carl, went into business together.
“Right before we moved, they formed a little engineering company,” Sherry said. “George was an inspector.”
Mr. Vogt was a proud and involved father, and got along well with many people.
“He was very active with the girls, with their school activities and all of that,” Sherry said. “George was very outgoing. He liked to tell jokes.”
He also enjoyed the outdoors.
“He really liked fishing. He shared that with our younger daughter, Amanda,” his wife said. “He also liked to play golf. And he liked to do yard work.”
Sherry said her husband would want to be remembered for being a very kind and very fair person.
“He was loyal to his friends and to his family. He would go out of his way to help a friend, you bet,” she said. “If you were his friend, nine times out of 10 you were a friend for life.”
“Life Story,” posted each Saturday on Leader Publications’ website, focuses on one individual’s impact on his or her community.