Imogene Ruth (Altwegg) Caughron, 93, of rural Chapman, Kansas passed away on January 23, 2023, at Chapman Valley Manor.
Imogene was born September 5, 1929, on a farm in Fragrant Hill township, Dickinson County, Ks to Ed & Bernice (Long) Altwegg. She attended Spring Valley Grade School, a one-room school in the middle of a section mostly accessible by walking. She was a Fragrant Hilltoppers 4-H club member and took clothing and cooking “because that’s what girls did back then”. She graduated from Dickinson County Community High School (DCCHS) in the top five of her 1947 class. Upon graduation, Imogene went to work at the State Capitol Building in Topeka, in the Division of Revenue and Taxation until she married Norman Caughron in June 1948. She moved only 7 miles from her birthplace to the Caughron farm in Sherman Township where she has resided ever since. In the Spring of 1963, DCCHS hired her as their new secretary where she continued to work until her retirement in 2001.
Imogene & Norman became members of the Zion United Methodist Church in 1948 now known as Alida United Methodist, where Imogene became the church pianist and organist and belonged to the Alida Upland Parish Women (AUPW). During the 70’s and 80’s Imogene and Norm belonged to and were active members of the Dickinson County Rural Life organization
until Norm became ill and passed away in 1993.
Imogene received the first Friends of Music Award in 2001 from the Tri M Music Honor Society, was presented with two outstanding Service Awards from the Chapman FFA, and was named the Meritorious Graduate in 2008. She retired as secretary from Chapman High School in 2001 but continued to help out with answering “long ago questions”, being “secretary for a day” and selling tickets at athletic events. She filled in at Dr Lawrence Cooper DDS as a receptionist when the office staff took a vacation.
Imogene attended most every sporting event, other school activity, or horse show for her grandchildren, Lon, Darcy, & Logan. She loved all of her family very much and was always putting everyone else's needs above her own. She didn’t know a stranger and rarely if ever, forgot a former student's name.
Imogene is survived by her sister-in-law, Deanne Caughron of rural Chapman, her children: Shelly (Terry) Lake of Talmage and Kristi (Terry) Lehmkuhl of rural Chapman, Ks; grandchildren: Lon Ferguson of Kansas City, Mo, Darcy (Tad) Tweady of rural Chapman, Logan (Stephanie) Lehmkuhl of Chapman, Ks; great grandchildren: Grady, Brody, & Kaylee Ferguson, Carly Rothfuss, Colter Tweady, Lillian & Lyla Lehmkuhl.
She was preceded in death by her husband Norman, her parents Edward and Bernice Altwegg, sister Nadine Riekeman, and infant son, Richard Loren.
Visitation will be Friday, January 27 from 5-7 p.m. at Londeen-Overlease Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will be Saturday, January 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Alida Upland Cooperative Parish and burial at Liberty Cemetery. Pastor Maria Foerschler officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Irish Foundation or Alida Upland Cooperative Parish in the care of Londeen-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 411, Chapman Kansas 67431.