Virginia Mae “Betty” Bope Golding Vogel, 95, of Knox, Indiana, peacefully departed this world in her home on August 18, 2026.
Betty was born on July 13, 1931, in Hamlet, Indiana, to William and Gertrude (Robbins) Bope. The daughter of sharecroppers, she grew up alongside her brothers, Perry (Edna) Bope and Norman “Dick” (Peggy) Bope.
On June 16, 1950, Betty married Wilford “Gene” Golding after the two met at a dance, where she also received her first kiss. Together, they welcomed two beautiful daughters, Jacqueline Jean in 1952 and Carrie Sue in 1961, and built a life filled with family, baking, horseback riding, and many treasured memories.
Gene’s untimely passing in 1974 left Betty a young widow and mother. In the years that followed, Jacqueline’s husband, Anthony Mildice Sr., became an especially important part of Betts’s life. She came to consider Tony a son, and he remained a devoted and loving presence in her life through the very end.
In 1981, Betty found love once more when she married James C. Vogel. James introduced her to the joys of golf, a sport she embraced enthusiastically. Betty became the first woman in Starke County to score a hole-in-one, an accomplishment fitting of her competitive spirit. In her earlier years, she rarely passed up an opportunity to golf and was more than happy to chase the sunshine south to Florida whenever she could.
Betty dedicated many years of her life to her work at the Starke County ASCS office and later at the Starke County Co-Op in Brems. She genuinely cared for the farmers she worked with and was always eager to hear about their farms and crops. Her involvement within her community extended beyond her career, as she served on the Jackson Township Advisory Board and as Jackson Township Trustee.
She was an active member of Gleaner’s Ober Arbor #477, Davis Wesleyan Church, the Starke County Republican Party, and the Jackson Township Women’s Club, and was a former member of the Hamlet Golf Club. Her faith, community, and service to others remained important throughout her life.
Betty was a woman of many talents and interests. She loved fishing, gardening, feeding her birds, reading her Bible, baking, cooking for friends and family, and enjoying a good fish fry. She had an incredible green thumb and took great pride in her beautiful flowerbeds, which reflected the care and attention she gave to everything she grew. While Betty enjoyed baking and cooking for those she loved, she was equally happy to sit down and enjoy the cooking of her beloved daughter Carrie, and her granddaughter Genelle.
Her hands were rarely idle. Betty was a gifted embroiderer and needleworker who created beautiful quilts, embroidery, and other handmade treasures for herself, her friends, and generations of her family. Many of those pieces remain in the homes of those she loved and will continue to be cherished for years to come.
Betty was also, without question, a card shark. For more than 70 years she played cards and games, and age never stopped her from giving her grandchildren and great-grandchildren a run for their money. No matter what game they pulled off the shelf, Great Grandma was perfectly capable of beating them—and often did.
She enjoyed exploring the world whenever she had the opportunity, with especially fond memories of fishing trips to Wisconsin, trips south to Florida, and a cruise to Alaska. Betty encouraged her family to travel, explore, and appreciate the beauty of the world whenever they were able.
Perhaps one of Betty’s most remarkable qualities was her exceptionally sharp mind. Want to know something that happened decades ago? Ask Betty. She remembered names, dates, people, places, stories, and the details of family history with an accuracy that continually amazed those around her. Through 95 years of life, she became an irreplaceable keeper of her family’s stories and memories.
Above all, family was the cornerstone of Betty’s life. She cherished family gatherings and took great joy in celebrating birthdays, holidays, milestones, and the arrival of each new generation. Her handwritten letters and thoughtful cards became treasures of their own, keeping the people she loved close no matter the distance between them.
Betty’s legacy lives on through her brother, Perry (Edna) Bope of North Judson; her daughter, Carrie (James) Kuchel of Hamlet; her sons-in-laws, Anthony Mildice Sr. and Tom Rausch; and her grandchildren, Genelle (Keith) Hewlett, Anthony “Tony Jr.” (Mary) Mildice, Candace (Kristopher) Kotras, Whitney (Broc) Larrison, Aaron (Jen) Rausch, and Laura Jean (Tim) Mason.
She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Madeline (Aaron) Fletcher, Kylee (Paul) Chaffins, Sophia Hewlett, Quill Larrison, Everett Rausch, Kale Rausch, Douglas Thomas, Owen Thomas, and Cooper Mason.
Betty was blessed to see yet another generation of her family begin and rejoiced in the arrival of her great-great-grandchildren, Anthony Chaffins and Wilder Fletcher. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her loving parents, William and Gertrude (Robbins) Bope; her brother, Norman “Dick” Bope; her husbands, Wilford “Gene” Golding and James C. Vogel; her daughter, Jacqueline Mildice; her stepdaughter, Barbara Rausch; her stepson, Richard Vogel; and her grandson, Abram Rausch.
Services for Betty will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at:
M.C. Smith Funeral Home, 153 E. Washington St., Knox, Indiana, 46534.
A private family gathering will begin at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, followed by public visitation from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Central Time. The funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
Graveside services will immediately follow at
Crown Hill Cemetery, 1200 E. Lake St., Knox, Indiana 46534.
