Bill Vogel lived a lifetime of playing ball and service to community

By: 
John Mueller, news@newpraguetimes.com

Vogel

They’ll play a beloved oldtime song Bill Vogel loved at the cemetery following his funeral Mass Saturday. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was one of his favorite tunes.

In his perfect world, Bill Vogel would have been a professional baseball player. He could hit and played good defense at first base. Instead, he and his wife raised a family. He ran a bank, taught his children to work hard, be honest. He served his country and community for several decades. Overall, Vogel’s family agreed, he enjoyed a pretty good life lived the way he wanted to live it.

Bill Vogel passed away peacefully May 19, with the love of his life, his wife, Kay, nearby at their home in Elko New Market. He was about five weeks shy of his 101st birthday when his life reached its conclusion.

Bill’s funeral Mass will be Saturday, June 3, noon, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Elko New Market. The Mass will follow a visitation beginning at 10 a.m.

Bill Vogel never achieved his childhood dream of playing professional baseball. Instead, he enjoyed a successful career as a banker and community leader. He served for 13 years on the New Prague School Board, was a charter member of the New Market Lions, was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus.

“He never really left town,” said his son, Bob, chairman of New Market Bank.

Bill entered the U.S. Army Nov. 13, 1942. He was discharged Jan. 4, 1946. In August of 1944, while shipping out of New York to combat in France and Germany, his ship passed by the Statue of Liberty. In an auto-biography Bill’s family published for him, he is quoted, “I wonder if I’ll ever see that again.”

After his military service in Europe during World War II, Bill tried-out for the New York Giants. Having lost three years to military service, the Giants weren’t looking for a 25-year-old prospect. Little did they know Bill’s baseball career wold span another 60-plus years. He played town baseball for Lakeville, Montgomery, New Prague, Belle Plaine, Prior Lake and Northfield. He served as a player-manager in New Prague. As a first baseman, Bill was known for his...

To see more on this story pick up the June 1, 2023 print edition of The New Prague Times. 

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