Obituaries / LJWorld.com

Obituaries

Ogden was born April 10, 1925 in Lawrence, Kansas, the oldest child of Ogden and Lucile Jones of Lawrence.

Ogden graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in June 1943 and joined the Army. He served in the European Theatre as a tank gunner with the 14th Armored Division in three major combat campaigns. In June of 1945, in Germany following the war’s end, he received an appointment to the Military Academy at West Point, joining the class of 1949.

Upon graduation as a second lieutenant, he continued a 28-year military career that would take him to Germany, two tours in Korea, Spain, and two tours in the Army General Staff in the Pentagon. He also graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Spanish Staff College (Esuela de Estado Mayor) in Madrid, Spain.

While in Korea, he was told that Jean Murray, a Lawrence girl and daughter of Joseph and Agnes Murray, was working in Seoul, Korea for the American Korean Foundation. They met and were married in Seoul in what Ogden described as the happiest day of his life.

Following retirement from the Army as a full Colonel, Ogden and Jean moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he worked thirteen years at NWL Abex in the engineering department.

In final retirement Ogden and Jean performed community service in such organizations as the Gospel Mission, Meals on Wheels, Loaves and Fishes, Ministry with Community, Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo, and Bronson Methodist Hospital. For many years Ogden performed service with the Honor Guard of Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Alison, of Chanute, Kansas; and a brother, Michael, of Martinez, California. Ogden is survived by his wife, Jean; a brother, Richard, of Tucson, Arizona; a daughter, Deborah Cotton of Cleveland Heights, Ohio; and two sons, Ogden S. Jones of Castro Valley, California, and Michael A. Jones of Palo Alto, California; plus four grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Ogden died of heart failure on April 1, 2012 in Oakland, California. Cremation has taken place. Ogden’s life story will be celebrated at Grand Lake Gardens retirement community at 401 Santa Clara Avenue, Oakland, California on Saturday, April 21st at 3:30 pm. Ogden’s remains will be inurned with full military honors at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in a private ceremony for the family at a later date.