Agnes Veronica Vogel

Agnes (Agi) Vogel passed away January 15, 2018 from complications of Alzheimer disease. She was 94 years old. Agi was born in Debrecen, Hungary to Julia and David Weisz, the eldest of their four daughters. Her early years were comfortable and idyllic, but destroyed by the rise of Nazism throughout Europe and the outbreak of WWII.  Agi and her entire family were rounded up from their home and loaded onto cattle cars headed for the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. Through a series of miracles, the transport she was on was rerouted and her family was taken to a slave labor camp outside Vienna, Austria. Despite the harsh conditions, her family survived and after being liberated literally walked home from Austria to Debrecen, Hungary.  Shortly after the war ended, Agi joined her extended family in Detroit, Michigan.  She met her husband, Michael Vogel while attending an English class for new immigrants. Michael, a Slovakian survivor of Auschwitz, had arrived in Detroit a year earlier and had stopped in the class to check out the new girls and was immediately smitten by Agi! They were married in 1948 and were together until Michael’s death in 2000.  She and her husband had four children, Howard, Caryn, Linda and Elaine. Mike’s work in retail required frequent moves across the country which Agi handled with her typical grace, tenacity and good humor. In 1969 they settled in Indianapolis where they lived the remainder of their lives.  They were members of Indianapolis Hebrew Congreation.

In addition to being the consummate wife, mother and homemaker, Agi was a talented artist and won many awards for her porcelain china painting. She was an outstanding baker and home cook, reknown  for her exquisite Hungarian pastries. When her children were grown, she worked for many years as the office manager at the Jordan Academy of Dance and staff and students from years ago still remember her. Agi and her husband Mike were active in Holocaust education and inspired many people who heard them speak about the Holocaust, antisemitism, and intolerance.

Agi is survived by her children, Howard Vogel  Brookston, IN, Dr Caryn Vogel (Rick Bentley) Indianapolis, Linda Vogel Manhattan, NY, and Elaine Vogel-Keller (Roger Keller)  Zurich, Switzerland; Grandchildren Jessica (Chris)Roland, Adam Vogel, Molly Vogel, Elizabeth (Avi Rovinsky) Bentley, Daniel (Beth Weinstein) Bentley, Sybille Keller and Jacqueline Keller; Great grandchildren Lillian, Collin, Addison and Akiva.

Agi’s family is especially grateful to her devoted caregivers Debra Hayden, Karen Hunter, Sharon Noel and Caroline Tekete.

Contributions can be sent to The United States Holocaust Museum in Agi’s memory at https://give.ushmm.org/donate.