Family will receive friends during a visitation on Thursday, March 14, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m at Shannon Rufe Snow Funeral Chapel. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 1 p.m. at Shannon Rufe Snow Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park.
Ogena was born in Fort Worth to Helen Ruth McWatters and Everett Crook Reynolds. She was passionate about music and studied piano and voice as a teen. Her first marriage, though short lived, was to James H. Baker, Jr and they had two children, Debra Carol and Connie Lynn.
She soon joined the Fort Worth Opera and proudly sang in the chorus for many years. She worked at Carswell Air Force Base as a secretary for the 301st Squadron until she retired.
She found the love of her life in 1989 when she met Fredric Collins of North Richland Hills, and they were married almost 30 years. These were the happiest years of her life.
Ogena was a volunteer for the NRH Police department, and in 2008 was awarded the Certificate of Recognition as the First Designated Volunteer in Police Service, for her work assisting the Records Section where she scanned thousands of old case files into the Laser Fische system making the old case files much more accessible to department employees. She was recognized for her dedication as a “V.I.P.” by the Chief of Police.
She was also awarded a Special Citizens Award from the City of North Richland Hills for her work on the beautification of the North Electric walking trail. She was thrilled to receive a sign in her front yard from NRH for “Yard of the Month”.
Her favorite activities included her beautiful and artful garden filled with flowers and plants, flying trips with her husband in their Cherokee 180 airplane, reading, crossword puzzles, her pets, and watching old black and white movies.
She is survived by her husband, Fred; sister, Claire Hicks (Alfred), Whiteville, TN; sister-in-law Malania Reynolds, Norman, OK; children, Debi Hamrick (Bob), Weatherford, TX, Connie Baker Sabo (John), Manhattan, NY; step-children, Pamela Peters (Billy), Springtown, TX, Kathy Higgins (Jerry), Granbury,TX, and Cynthia Allen, Utica, NY. Grandchildren include Steven Parent, Ron Parent, Kristine Sabo, Rane Allen, Sarah Ford, Krystal Osborn, Jennifer Heavin, Chasity Reilly, Brandon Peters, Anthony Peters, twelve great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.