Elmer John Boegner, 82, of Houston, TX and formerly of Fort Madison, IA, passed away on Friday, July 3, 2020 at 12:05 a.m. at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Pearland, TX.
E. J., as he was affectionately known to most, was born May 3, 1938 in Ft. Madison to Elmer Louis and Louise Einspanjer Boegner. He attended grade school at St. Joseph’s and was in the first graduating class of Aquinas High School in 1956. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, roughed it through basic training at Camp Pendleton in southern California, before being assigned administrative and ceremonial duties in Washington DC. He left the military, enrolled at the University of Iowa, but was persuaded by his father to work at the family-owned grain elevator in Niota, IL.
In 1959, E.J. met Fort Madison resident Kay Earlene Francis and married her a year later. They started a family with son, Gregory Scott, born in 1961, and Brenda Nicolle, born in 1964. Eager for a career in commodity trading, E.J. moved his family to Dallas in 1969, and began working at E. F Hutton. He and Kay divorced in 1970.
E.J.’s work trajectory saw him taking jobs in Oklahoma City, Fort Wayne, IN, and finally Houston, where his children were now residing. In Houston, he held positions at top brokerage and financial management firms, first with Dean Whitter and ultimately Morgan Stanley, where he was a registered financial advisor until his retirement in 2009. While in Houston, he met Virginia-native Bettie Gayle Hopkins. They married in 1991. Together, they were active in several social and charitable organizations; namely, the Knights of Regina krewe of the Galveston Mardi Gras, of which EJ was named Royal Duke, leading the parade in the annual celebration in 1993.
E.J. will always be remembered by those who know him as a nice guy, a fine father, grandfather and great grandfather, devoted husband, respected colleague and good neighbor.
E.J. is survived by his son, Greg, now living in Vilamoura, Portugal; daughter, Brenda (Louis) Parker of Lake Jackson, TX; three grandchildren, Briana Farris, Ashlyn Parker, and Pierce Parker; and three great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Gayle.
Visitation with the family in attendance will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary and Joseph Catholic Church in Fort Madison. A funeral mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Joseph Phung officiating. Social distancing rules will apply and masks are encouraged. Burial will be held in Gethsemane Cemetery. King-Lynk Funeral Home is in charge of the services.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making donations to E.J.’s favorite charity, St. Joseph’s Indian School, 1301 North Main Street, Chamberlain, SD 57325. Online condolences may be left at the King-Lynk Funeral Home & Crematory website: www.kinglynk.com.
