Donna Lee Shogren

The Reverend Donna Lee Shogren

Donna Lee Shogren was born March 22, 1932, to Harvey Raphael Wagner and Bessie Flinner Wagner, at their home on Bridge Street in Ellwood City, PA. It was the time of the Great Depression and the Wagner family was beset with many hardships - no more but no less than many other families around them. Harvey would lose his job in town, the family car, and ultimately the family home. The Wagners had lost 8-month-old Doris Jean to spinal meningitis in 1931. Obliged to long days of labor on the distant Pymatuning Dam to keep the family afloat, Harvey's meticulous notes from the time show he took off three valuable days of work for the joyous arrival of Donna Lee.

As a child, Donna Lee impressed on everyone her independent character. At the age of four she drove her kiddie car to a local store all by herself (unbeknownst to the family). She preferred to walk barefoot back and forth to school. One winter, she fainted in a snowy ditch on the way home from school – either from cold or hunger. A neighbor found her and brought her home. These stories reflect a tenacity, practicality and self-sufficiency that would remain with her throughout her long life.

Donna Lee had a strong faith in God and felt called to serve. After graduating from Butler High School, she attended Westminster College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Having completed a degree in Music and Education in 1954, she departed on a missionary trip to Cairo, where she taught English at Ramses College for Girls. Her time in Egypt led to enduring friendships and a lifelong appreciation for Egyptian culture.

Returning from Egypt, she enrolled in the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where she met, and eventually married, Paul Shogren in 1961. She completed her Master of Religious Education in 1962, the same year her first son, Gunnar, was born. Thereafter, Paul's work with the US Department of Forestry took the family to Marquette, Michigan, where her second son, Björn, was born in 1964.

After frequent moves, the family settled in Clearfield, PA, for much of the children's schooling. Donna Lee taught Music at the elementary school, and later English at the high school, where she could be seen "pumping the pedals" of her three-speed bicycle up the hill to work, wearing a cape and carrying her materials in a wicker basket. On weekends, the family would often go to local grange halls for square dancing and a potluck dinner, where you could find her favorite corn bread casserole –which remained a staple at family dinners for years to come.

In 1980, the family moved to Morgantown, WV, for Paul's work. A few years later, Donna Lee returned to the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Sacred Theology in 1983. She began work at the Kennedy Youth Center in Morgantown and was ordained a Minister of the Word by the Presbytery of Grafton in 1985. She was installed as pastor of the Terra Alta Presbyterian Church in Terra Alta, WV, where she and Paul lived for five years.

In 1990, Donna Lee and Paul built a house in Oakland, Maryland, close to Terra Alta, where they remained for almost 34 years. The Shogrens made many close friends and established multiple community ties during this time. Eventually retiring from full-time pastorship, Donna Lee continued to minister part time in Terra Alta, while teaching reading classes at Garrett County Community College, knitting baby blankets for the hospital, and staying involved in other community-oriented activities.

Paul and Donna Lee celebrated 62 years together until his passing in 2024. That same year she moved to Harmony of Morgantown, where she stayed until her last days, walking outside, listening to Sunday church services on the radio, and setting aside dining-hall desserts in her freezer. Donna Lee passed away peacefully in her home on March 14, 2026, a few days short of her 94th birthday. She is preceded in death by her siblings Helen Mae, 4 days old, Doris Jean, 8 months old, Eugene age 85, Martha age 95, and Floyd age 100. She is survived by her two sons, and a host of family and friends.

March 14th is National Pi Day, so her family asks that she be remembered with a slice of your favorite pie. If she were here, she'd tell you, that the crust had better be homemade!

A service to honor and celebrate Donna's life will be held at Saturday, April 18th, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Spruce St. United Methodist Church, 386 Spruce St., Morgantown, WV 26505 officiated by Pastor Bart Thompson. A reception will follow at the church for those in attendance.

Smith Funeral & Cremation Care and SFCC Crematory of Westover, (304) 292-9494, is providing compassionate professional services to the family.

Condolences and other gifts of comfort may be offered at www.smithfcc.com.