LAVAUGHN Ogren (born Gordanier)

U.s. Census 1940: Lived in Los Angeles with her mother (divorced) and brother Elwyn.

Lavaugn was married to Charles Kenneth Mitchell June 30, 1950. Her family name was Mitchell when she married Ernest W. 1956.

LAVAUGHN OGREN OBITUARY

March 6, 1927 - May 15, 2022 Lavaughn (aka Vonnie by family) passed away peacefully on May 15, 2022 from a short illness. She was born in the elevator at General Hospital in Los Angeles, CA on March 6, 1927 to ila L. Gordanier and Glen L. Gordanier. She was raised during the Great Depression which was not much fun as her father was shell-shocked in WW1 and could only find work with the WPA. She attended Foshay Jr High School and Manual Arts High School. She studied acting at Los Angeles City College with actors Robert Vaughn and Alexis Smith. She worked as a swimsuit and formal attire model at Bullocks Wilshire with such customers as Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse, she also modeled at the May Co stores. She was a waitress at the famous Dal Rae Supper Club in the early 1950's, when they were located close to the Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood, CA She was also an executive secretary at the Sunkist Growers Assn. in downtown Los Angeles. She loved to ski and met the love of her life Ernie Ogren on the chairlift at Mammoth Mountian in 1955. He called out single and she raised her hand and they rode up the hill together into a 66 year union. They married in 1956 and moved to Torrance, CA where they raised 2 children. She was preceded in death by her mother, father and brother, Elwyn Clair Gordanier and is survived by her husband, Ernest W. Ogren Jr; daughter, Kristi Lyn Rose nee' Ogren of Redondo Beach, CA; and son, Kallen Ray Ogren of Portola, CA. She was a member and counselor with the Girl Scouts and a den mother with the Cub Scouts, she joined the PTA and worked the voting board. She was also a member and supporter of "The Friends of Bullocks Wilshire". She loved writing poetry and was a poet laureate and published by the National Library of Poetry, "The Space Between 1994" and by Eber and Wein "Who's who in American Poetry of 2014" and "Best Poets of 2015". She skied many resorts in the United States and several foreign countries. She loved to bowl and bowled in several leagues, she also loved to play tennis and played with her cousin, Calvin Carey and with tennis champion, Pancho Gonzales and she played weekly with her friends. She went on many cruises, attended many events with the Gardena Valley Boat Club, traveled extensively in many foreign countries and in the USA in their motorhomes. She grew roses and was known as the rose lady. She was 95 and always said she had a good life. Per her wishes she was cremated and asked for no services. She will be interred at the Riverside National Cemetery alongside her husband with a service when that time comes.