Obituary of Vera Bogdanow

Vera Bogdanow, 95, of Beaumont, CA passed away peacefully with family by her side, on October 16, 2010 at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning, California. Born on December 2, 1914, in Sioux City, Iowa, she was the daughter of the late Paul A. and Lena Chmelevskaya Bogdanow. Vera resided in Sioux City, Iowa until the age of 74, although just before graduating from Central High School, she and her family spent a brief period of time in the Ukraine where they found work in a packing plant during hard times. Vera was later employed at Swift and Company, Amour's, St. Vincent Hospital and Iowa Beef Packers, retiring from the latter in 1984. She moved to Frederick, Maryland in 1988 to live near her sister and niece's family where she soon made many new friends and found herself in demand for her babysitting talents. In 2004, Vera moved to Aguanga, California to live with her niece and four years later became a resident at Beaumont Care Center in Beaumont, CA. Throughout her life, Vera loved walking everywhere and was very social, always attracting new friends and trying fun new activities. Among Vera's favorite pastimes, were sight-seeing, going out to dinner, and taking road trips with her niece as well as other family and friends. She also enjoyed gardening, reading, sewing and watching TV with her pets. Vera was very wise and will be dearly missed for her sweet, innocent, ageless, fun and witty personality. Surviving are niece, Cheryl Leonard, great-nieces, Amy Dodson and husband Tom, Nina Mento, great-nephew Brandon "Brodie" Mento and their father Chris Mento. Other surviving nephews and nieces are Kevin Bogdanow, Paulette Lym, Diane Brown, Jim Stephen, Susan Glander, cousin-in-law Yolanda Burton and many other great nephews and nieces. Ms. Bogdanow was preceded in death by a brother, Constantine Bogdanow, sisters Olive Parker, Leda Bogdanow, Lana Stephen and nephew, Jerome Parker. Special friends remembered are Geoff Van Schepen, Vernon Schultz, Sue Derse, Carol Merical, Beulah Pennington and many others. A memorial service will be held at Stauffer Funeral Home, Frederick, MD, on December 18, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. Visitation will be held prior to the service, beginning at 2:00 p.m. All who desire are encouraged to visit a website set up at Caringbridge.org; go to "visit a website" and type in verabogdanow, (no spaces), to read comments and express feelings, share stories, etc. Memorial donations may be made to Odyssey Vista Care Hospice Foundation, 717 N. Harwood-Suite 1500, Dallas, TX 75201.