Jean S. Ogden

Jean Shirley “Jeanie” Ogden, age 95 of Niles, Michigan, mother, grandmother, sister, devout follower and witness of Jesus Christ, missions volunteer, and prayer warrior, died peacefully on Thursday, December 4, 2025, with her family gathered around at her home.

She was born on September 17, 1930, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, to Roy C. and Ruth (Sowter) Lawson, and graduated in 1948 from Central High School in Saint Joseph. She continued her education at Platt College of Commerce and Secretarial Training in Saint Joseph.

She married the love of her life, Earl D. Ogden, on July 1, 1955, at Wyatt Park Christian Church in Saint Joseph. Together, they moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where Earl enrolled at Oklahoma A&M Tech, and Jeanie took a secretarial position at the college and worked in the office of Born Engineering. After graduation, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, before settling in Niles in 1972, where she was employed in the office of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Jeanie was a long-time, active member of the former First Missionary Church in Niles (now Summit Church) and had recently attended Community Evangelical Free Church with her daughter. She volunteered for 25 years as a teacher for Child Evangelism Fellowship in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Niles. Beginning in 1994, she and Earl spent most of their Januarys and Februarys traveling and volunteering at Christian mission stations including Project Teamwork in Homestead, Florida, East European Harvest in Mobile, Alabama, the Saint Petersburg, Russia and Southwest Texas stations of the World Partners of the Missionary Church, Bible Study Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas, Horn Creek Conference Grounds, a high mountain Christian Family camp in Westcliffe, Colorado, and Child Evangelism Fellowship in Warrenton, Missouri and Berrien Center, Michigan. They also volunteered for many years at Samaritan’s Purse headquarters, processing the gift-filled shoeboxes of Operation Christmas Child.

At home, Jeanie was a talented seamstress, creating clothing for her family, and eventually teddy bears and blankets for her grandchildren. That creativity carried into the kitchen, where she tried a new meal every week – usually successfully. She enjoyed sharing her home with friends, sometimes for meals and table games, but more often for her longstanding Wednesday Bible Study, which met there just two weeks ago, and she maintained a regular schedule of hour-long telephone call prayer sessions.

Her family brought her great joy, including gatherings that required extra tables to seat everyone for dinner. She and Earl made the grandchildren’s summers special, including many out-of-state trips to fascinating destinations.

Jeanie and Earl celebrated the remarkable fifty-seventh anniversary of their wedding several months before his death on May 11, 2013. They were sadly preceded in death by an infant grandson, Adam Brelowski, on October 12, 1995.

Surviving family includes her children, Christina Nimtz, Nancy (& David) Brelowski, and Dan (& Teresa) Perry, all of Niles; grandchildren, Zackry (& Libby) Nimtz, Michael Brelowski, Matthew Brelowski, Luke (& Jenny Hrncir) Brelowski, Joshua (& Danielle Kuemin) Perry, Jeni (& Jeramie) Creekmore, Joel (& Sarah Martin) Perry, and Betsy (& Richard) Salvagni; great-grandchildren, Willow, Hazel, Lawson, Briar, Kiya, Kloe, Piper, Paisleigh, Hailey, Lyrec, Tobias, Lincoln, Sarah, Deklynn, Mira, Gia, Briella, Amber, and Alexandra; Jeanie’s brother, Neal (& Arla) Lawson of South Carolina, and many nieces and nephews.

The family of Jeanie Ogden will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, December 11, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. until Noon at Summit Church, 1700 West River Road, in Niles, followed by a Memorial Service beginning at Noon on Thursday, with Summit’s Lead Pastor Dan Miller, officiating. The family will gather earlier for a private Committal Service at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

Contributions in memory of Jeanie may be made to Operation Christmas Child at Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, North Carolina, 28607. Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Memories and condolences may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com.

Jeanie’s home reflected her life, decorated in the orderly fashion of the Victorian Style, every surface filled with objects that indicated her interests: souvenirs from her travels, Christian artwork, and her cherished family heirlooms and photographs. Her home was also filled with chairs for all her guests and family, whether for board games, Bible study, a cup of coffee, or a family holiday celebration. All of this indicates a long and devoted life, fulfilling the commandment to love God and love one another.