Sally Vogt, age 69, passed away Thursday, June 4, 2020 at the Sanford Canby Medical Center.  A private service will be held at United Methodist Church in Gary, SD, with Carol Olson officiating. Pallbearers will be Grand-children Victoria, Olivia, Titus, and Sophia Vogt; Nephew Jesse Denelsbeck, and Great-nephew Preston Denelsbeck. Darold Bauman, and Victoria & Olivia Vogt will be singing with pianist Sara Winter. Burial will be at the Grandview Cemetery, Gary, SD.  The date, time and location for a Celebration of Life will be announced when conditions governing the size of gatherings will allow all of us impacted by Sally’s life to be together.  Condolences can be sent to The Vogt Family, 17805 488th Ave, Gary, SD 57237.  Sally requested that any memorials be directed to Blue and Gold Educational Foundation of District 891, 108 St. Olaf Ave N, Canby, MN 56220.

Sally (Denelsbeck) Vogt was born on October 18, 1950 in Canby, Sally was the third child of Gordon and Gerda Denelsbeck. She entered the presence of her Lord on June 4, 2020 at the age of 69 at Sanford Canby Medical Center.  Sally was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in April 2018 and underwent a number of chemotherapy options without good results. Treatment was discontinued in April of this year. Her positive attitude, determination to continue life as normal as long as possible, and her unshakable faith were evident throughout.

She remembered a loving childhood on the family farm in Hammer Township playing with her siblings, cousins, and family friends. Sally attended a few years at country school and continued at the new Canby Elementary School. She graduated from Canby High School in 1968 with good memories and close friendships that have withstood the test of time.
Sally graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a degree in English. It was at a school dance on her first day of college that she met the love of her life, Larry Vogt, a Math/Computer Science major from Lamberton. They were married at the Dawson Covenant Church June 12, 1971 and lived in Marshall while they both completed their degrees in 1972. She took several MBA courses at SMSU dUring the early 2000’s.  Except for her college years in Marshall and summer jobs, Sally has had a local address her entire life. She worked tirelessly, with purpose and passion for the Canby, Gary and Clear Lake, SD communities. In September 2018, “Sally’s Soldiers” – family members, former co-workers and friends from the three communities – showed their love and appreciation for Sally at a “Faith over Fear” 5K walk/run around Gary.  Her interest and participation in education never ended. She served on the Canby School Board for 20-some years, and chaired the board of a regional education cooperative based in Marshall for the same length of time. Sally’s parents were charter donors to the Blue and Gold Foundation making scholarships possible for every Canby High School graduate so it comes full circle with Sally serving on that foundation’s board. She was currently on the Foundation board of Minnesota West Community and Technical Collage, as well as the board of Canby Community Housing.  Sally was baptized at Lake Beauty Bible Camp in her teens when she made the decision to follow Christ. She was confirmed and enjoyed youth groups and Bible School at the old Dawson Covenant Church. Sally has been a member of the United Methodist Church in Gary, SD since 1975 and has served in various roles. She traveled to the Holy Land and took a cruise around the northern Mediterranean to follow the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul led by her Methodist pastor. Sally also participated in the “Walk to Emmaus” with close friends and sister just prior to her diagnoses. Sally credited her ability to have unwavering faith through her journey with cancer to this experience.  Among Sally’s most rewarding volunteer opportunities were Restorative Justice Circles, an alternative to the judicial system for juvenile offenders; and Circles of Hope to support adults in treatment and recovery. The last guests Sally invited to her home were the Circle leader and some of the circle volunteers on May 26th, the day before she entered the hospital.  As a farm wife in the early years of their marriage, Sally was a hands-on part of a hog farrowing operation and clipped tails and teeth and power-washed the hog barns countless times. Sally and Larry chose to forego a second income so she could be home with children David and Lisa until they were both in school. To make that possible, their entertainment was card clubs; she sewed, cut coupons, cooked and baked from scratch, gardened and preserved produce. Her talent for gardening has been appreciated by her weekly Sunday dinner crew starting with asparagus and going well into the winter with Yukon Gold potatoes and squash. Sally and Larry have served Sunday dinner every week to virtually the same 10 – 15+ family members for many years. One of her spiritual gifts was certainly hospitality.
Sally worked for over 23 years as the Canby Clinic Director, beginning when the clinic was still downtown. She retired in 2015. The position was equally demanding and rewarding. She was a key player in recruiting and retaining physicians and mid-level practitioners, as well as having oversight of the Laboratory, Radiology/Imaging and later Dental clinic. Former colleagues are some of her dearest friends.  As a long-time Rotary Club member, Sally lived out the club’s motto – “Service above Self.” The words coming from her loved ones recently to describe her include family first, strong female, civic leader, health conscious, professional, honest, dependable, generous, organized, mentor, cheerleader for others, and more. The descriptive words she valued the most were Christian, woman of faith, powerful witness. As with her garden, Sally planted and nurtured seeds of faith in David and Lisa and was blessed to see fruit in their lives and in the lives of her grandchildren. When able, she walked or biked every morning and that was one of her prayer times; she prayed most diligently that the Holy Spirit would touch the hearts of her dear ones who didn’t know Christ. As her energy waned, she prayed from her nest on the couch. She wanted to know she’d see them all in heaven

Larry and Sally would have marked their 49th anniversary on June 12th at their home in rural Canby. Son David and his wife, Kari, live near Gary, SD, with their children Victoria, Olivia, Titus, and Sophia. Daughter Lisa and her husband, Nate Schleis live in Largo, FL. Sally’s mother, Gerda Denelsbeck-Bliss, lives at Sylvan Place in Canby. Siblings are Carolyn (Edward) Korbel, Eden Prairie, MN; James (friend Marian Monroe) Denelsbeck, Canby, MN; Nancy (Robert) Salmon, Canby, MN. Mother-in-law Marjorie Vogt, Alexandria, MN. Brother-in-law Myron (Mary Vogt), Sundburg, MN. Sisters-in-law Linda Lundquist, Longmont, CO; Cindy (Scott) Schlapkohl, Alexandria, MN. Family members who preceded her in death were her father Gordon Denelsbeck, father-in-law Henry Vogt, and Sisters-in-law Patricia Denelsbeck and Carol Vogt.