Anne Elisabeth Ogren

Anne Elisabeth Ogren, age 80, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, passed away on March 12, 2025, with her loving daughters by her side.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 18, 1945, to Donald and Margaret (Vandenburgh) Ogren, Anne was the middle child of three, growing up alongside her brothers, Paul and Ben.  Anne was raised within the Des Moines Friends Meeting (Quaker) where her family lived out the values of social justice, embracing others, and being of service to the community; values that she lived by throughout her life. Her family home was filled with music and singing, and she began playing violin at an early age.  While attending Lincoln High School in Des Moines she played in the Des Moines Symphony and took violin lessons at Drake University, having the formative experiences that led to a lifelong journey dedicated to music.

Her love for the violin led her to multiple universities in search of the right teacher, including Drake University, Earlham College, and Cincinnati Conservatory, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Violin Performance. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Music Theory from the University of Wisconsin and later, a second Master’s in Music Education from the University of Michigan. 

Over the years, her passion for performance never diminished—she played violin professionally with orchestras every place she lived, and in Ann Arbor starting in the early 1980’s including over 30 years with the Ann Arbor Symphony.  She was also a founding member of Childgrove, an English country dance band with whom she traveled across the U.S. and even internationally to France.

Anne married in 1966, and spent her life sharing her love of music with others, including her three musical daughters, her grandchildren, and great-granddaughter. Throughout her entire musical career she taught countless private violin students out of her home. She dedicated 17 years to teaching orchestra at Abbott Middle School in West Bloomfield Public Schools, inspiring generations of students.

Beyond music, Anne was an adventurous traveler who embraced cultures from around the world. Her journeys took her to Russia, Poland, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, Costa Rica, Kenya (five times), Germany, Austria, France, The Netherlands, England, China, Tibet, Turkey, India, Tanzania, Scotland, Sweden, and Norway. She was captivated by the music, traditions, and natural beauty of every place she visited. Her multiple trips to Kenya had a profound impact on her and she made lasting connections with her friends there, including supporting the education of young Kenyan scholars, as well as teaching violin classes for the Meru Music Program.  Multiple family trips to the Seattle area in the past few years were especially important to her.

A second-generation birder, Anne inherited a love of birdwatching from her parents, and she passed this knowledge and passion on to her daughters. She was known for her easygoing disposition, her wonderful sense of humor and full laugh. Anne made indelible friendships throughout her life, and lovingly nurtured these connections.

At the heart of Anne’s active life, was her loyalty and love of her family.  Anne is deeply missed by her three daughters, Heidi (Steve) Snyder, Abigail “Abby” Alwin, and Rebecca “Becky” (Rich) Cox; her grandchildren, Zach (Becca) Snyder, Drew (Emily) Snyder, and Rebekah Snyder; her great-granddaughter, Junia Snyder; and her brothers, Paul (Cherie) Ogren and Ben (Joyce) Ogren.