Dorothy Fogle

Mrs. Dorothy Fogle, 102, of Walkersville, Maryland, passed from this life on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 10:15 am at Homewood at Crumland Farms in Frederick, Maryland.

Born on January 8, 1922 on Granville Smith’s farm on Gas House Pike near Frederick, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Hallie Trout.  Growing up on the farm, she was “treated like a boy,” working hard to feed the animals and milk the cows every day before school. She attended Grove Academy, a one-room schoolhouse; New Midway Elementary School (grades 2-7); and in 1939 graduated Walkersville High School, where she also played basketball. That summer she met LaVerne at Haugh’s Church festival while he was playing guitar and singing (“he was really good”); they married three years later on June 20, 1942-“the best thing that ever happened to me.” LaVerne enlisted in the Army Signal Corps that September and Dot was always by his side throughout his military service in the U.S., during which she worked at sewing factories in Woodsboro and Thurmont, MD; Red Bank, NJ; Nashville, TN; and Neosho, MO; and candled eggs in Manhattan, KS. She returned home and worked at a dress factory in Thurmont, MD while LaVerne served overseas.

LaVerne was discharged in 1945 and, after a brief time in Pikesville, MD and Rochester, NY, the couple moved to Detour, MD. They bought a general store, where they hosted bingo nights and Dot served hot beef sandwiches. After their first daughter, Beverly, was born in 1949, they built a new house in Walkersville in 1951, where Dot lived for the next 65 years. Their second daughter, Janice, was born in 1953 and Dot was a “house mother and enjoying it” before 1960 when she started working in the Walkersville Elementary cafeteria; in 1965, she left that job to join the Glade Valley Bakery, checking invoices Mondays through Saturdays. LaVerne was home on Saturdays and wanted Dot there too, so in 1966 she found a position at the Frederick County Board of Education, where she was employed for the next 30 years.

Dot changed locations five times during her career with the school system. She ran the billing machine at the Frederick County Processing Center (1966-1970) before serving as a media specialist in the vocational area at the newly-formed Instructional Material Center at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. She then moved work sites to a warehouse on Hayward Road; the third floor of Rosenstock Hall, Hood College in 1981; the Sagner Building in 1984, where she was in charge of circulating non-print materials; and back to the Hayward Road warehouse in 1989, where she computerized the film and video collection. Dot retired from the Department of Media Services in June 1996 with 35 years of service to the Frederick County Public Schools System.

Dot was a life-long Lutheran, a 32-year member of Haugh’s Church in Ladiesburg, MD and a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Walkersville, MD for more than 50 years. She coordinated lectors for nearly 40 years and served the congregations as, among other roles, a Sunday school teacher and superintendent, president of the Ladies’ Group, and bible school instructor each summer.

Dot was active in her community, serving as a Girl Scout leader and longstanding volunteer at the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company where she was honored with “Life Member” status; she served meals at the fire hall and Walkersville Carnival well into her 90s. She and LaVerne took the girls on several cross-country road trips, and enjoyed hosting friends for card games; “500” was their game of choice.

Dot was a prolific artist and crafter, creating numerous drawings, paintings, quilts, and decorations that her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren still cherish. Her black walnut cake was a holiday favorite. Each summer for nearly 30 years, Dot accompanied her family to Sunset Beach, NC, where she could be found on the screened-in porch working on a puzzle or enjoying an ice cream cone (“a little something sweet”). She loved a family game night, during which her sly one-liners would occasionally slip past her placid demeanor, leaving everyone in fits of laughter; “Nana luck” carried her to frequent victory in games of chance. She was a member of the Walkersville bowling league until age 94 and continued to play cards and bingo as a Homewood resident.

Dot is preceded in death by her husband LaVerne who died March 9, 1980. She is survived by her two daughters, Beverly Schroeder of Frederick, MD and Janice Rixey & husband Rodney of Midlothian, VA. She leaves four grandchildren: Julie Fernandes & husband Peter of Ijamsville, MD; Amanda Trostle & husband Nick of Columbus, OH; Alex Rixey of Washington, DC; and Kyle Rixey & wife Emily of Midlothian, VA. Dot adored her three great grandchildren Ryan Trostle, Aiden Trostle, and Ella Rixey.

Dot is survived by her sister Harriet Loose of Gettysburg, PA. Her sister Helen Freeze (husband Harold) and brothers Charles Trout (wife Anna Mae), Harry Trout (Leona), and Richard Trout (Kathleen) predeceased her. She also leaves behind a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family would like to especially thank Jen Hargett at Homewood at Crumland Farms for the compassion and care she gave our Nana during the last year.

The family will receive friends from 10-11 am on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD where a celebration of Dorothy's life journey will take place 11 am.  Interment will be at 2:30 pm at Union Chapel Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Walkersville.