CULLMAN — Mary Helen Warren Vogel

Funeral services for Mary Helen Warren Vogel, 89, of Cullman will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Pastor John Bussman officiating, with burial in Cullman City Cemetery.

Moss-Service Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Vogel passed away Thursday, Dec. 19, at her residence. She was born Oct. 8, 1923, to Clint and Birty Warren. She graduated from Hanceville High School at age 16, and obtained a music education degree from the University of Montevallo at age 20. She taught school music and piano at East Elementary in Cullman and at Bass High School in Atlanta. In 1957, she directed the choir at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman for 20-plus years before retiring to sing in the choir another 20 years. under her direction, the choir grew from 17 to 55 members and recorded two albums. She was active for many years in the American Field Service program at Cullman High School and was AFS parent in 1967-68 to Jane Hunter from New Zealand. She and Dr. Jack Vogel were married for 52 years until his death in 2000. She was a member of the Symphony Club, Community Concert Association, and was active many years in the Friday Study Club. She was also a champion golfer, but her ongoing passion was photography. She studied under Fred Merrill, and she made and gave away many photos of adults and children during her lifetime.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jack Vogel; and a brother, Steve Warren.

Survivors include two daughters, Patti (Phil) Freeman of Cullman; AFS daughter, Jane Hunter of Thames, New Zealand; two granddaughters, Amy Williams and Meredith (Jeff) Middlebrooks; and four great-grandchildren, Clay and Maggie Williams and Eliza Helen and Thomas Middlebrooks, all of Nashville.

She is also survived by her wonderful caregivers and other helpers, Sandra Tucker, Mary Parker, Pamela Phillips, Sandra Sparks, Margaret Barron, Sandra and Brad Jones and Kim Freeman.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church.

A eulogy will be given at 10:45 a.m., prior to the service.