John Vogelsberg

John R. Vogelsberg, age 85, of Faribault, MN passed away on Monday, February 14, 2022 at Mill City Senior Living following an extended illness.

John Robert, the son of Thomas and Evelyn (Voegel) Vogelsberg, was born on November 17, 1936 in Faribault, MN. He chose to spend his entire life living and serving in his hometown. John attended Bethlehem Academy until the end of his junior year when he transferred to Faribault Senior High School and graduated in 1956.

John enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in active duty during the Berlin Crisis. He married Donna Hunt at Immaculate Conception Church in Faribault in the autumn of 1968. They built a life they loved together, including their three children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.  John was a farmer, a truck driver, and a business owner. He worked for the family business, Voegel’s Creamery, and then for Tatge Oil. He was a partner of Winjum Transfer before purchasing the business and changing the name to Vogelsberg Trucking. He ran the business for 25 years and loved meeting new people and serving his customers through his work.

As proud owners of a ‘62 Corvette, John and Donna enjoyed participating in a Corvette Club and cruising all across the upper Midwest in their convertible. After retirement, John and Donna enjoyed traveling in their motorhome until they settled in Arizona, where many friends from Minnesota and Canada made the sunny winters feel like home. All year round, they loved welcoming their kids and grandkids to their timeshare on the North Shore. Many treasured family memories were made in Two Harbors. Some of their favorite retirement moments were spent watching their grandkids participate in various activities, from dance to soccer to theater and more.

John was a member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and the Last Man’s Club.

John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Donna; children, Caroline (Jim) Arpin of Oronoco, Steve (Andrea) Vogelsberg of Faribault, daughter-in-law, Lisa Vogelsberg of Faribault; grandchildren, Nicole (Garrett) and Stella Shanks of South Bend, IN; Chris Arpin and Kate Arpin of Oronoco; Makayla Vogelsberg (Kyle Schoenecker) of Faribault; Brett Vogelsberg of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; Lindsay Vogelsberg of Birmingham, AL; Regan Vogelsberg and Nolan Vogelsberg of Faribault; Lauren (Andy) Laughlin of Eden Prairie and Danielle Christensen (Seth Forst) of Apple Valley; sister-in-law, Carol Vogelsberg; brother, Tom (Mary) Vogelsberg and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Bob Vogelsberg; brothers, Richard “Dick” and Donald “Don” Vogelsberg; sister-in-law, Geraldine Vogelsberg.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, February, 18, 2022 at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault with Fr. Louis Floeder officiating. Military honors provided by the Rice County Central Veterans Organization following the Mass. Interment will be at Meadow Ridge Cemetery at a later date. For those unable to attend, the service will be live streamed through a link found on John’s obituary page.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. on Friday at church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Bethlehem Academy or Allina Hospice in memory of John.

Funeral arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault.