Grace Ellen Friedrich Ogden

Grace Ellen Friedrich Ogden died in her sleep on May 10, 2023, aged 92. Grace was born December 26, 1930, the third of three children born to Genevieve Exilda, née Evon, and Richard Rudolph Friedrich of Oregon City, OR. She was educated in the public schools of that city through graduation from Oregon City High School in 1949. Oft-repeated childhood memories included her cocker spaniel Ginger shivering in the glacial runoff of the Clackamas River, Camp Fire Girls camp, piano lessons, and saving berry picking money to buy a foot-pumped parlor organ.

Grace followed her sisters to the University of Washington in 1949. She pledged Alpha Delta Pi like her sister Phyllis and majored in home economics like her sister Nancy. Grace enjoyed the challenge of science courses and pursued a Master of Science degree in hospital dietetics at The Ohio State University in the fall of 1953. Earlier that year a sorority sister had a date with a Theta Delta Chi man who didn't have a car. His fraternity brother John Ogden had wheels but no date, so Grace was enlisted to come along for an evening’s company. They were engaged by the end of the year.

Grace married second Lieutenant John Ogden of the Army on January 22, 1955, in Oregon City, and moved to Lawton OK where John was stationed at Fort Sill. Following John’s discharge from the Army, the couple relocated to Springfield, OR, where John began his career as an accountant with Weyerhaeuser. Throughout John's career, they moved several times, residing in Hoquiam, WA; Plymouth, NC; Federal Way, WA; Columbus, MS; and finally returning to Federal Way in 1991 where John retired in 1997. Three sons were born to John and Grace in Hoquiam and a daughter in Plymouth.

With each relocation and while embracing her role as a dedicated mother, Grace followed her passion of seeking to improve the health of others through proper nutrition. She imparted her nutrition expertise at hospitals, nursing homes and county jails and later through her own private nutrition counseling practice. She also had an interest in the importance of trace minerals in human physiology. As an early adopter of home computers and spreadsheet software, Grace developed and marketed Nutri-tally, her proprietary way of graphing one’s nutritional intake.

In addition to her work as a dietitian, Grace could be found serving on church committees, singing in a church choir, and occasionally filling in as church organist. She also volunteered as a Cub Scout den mother and a high school band booster. At each of her homes, Grace planted a vegetable garden that could yield a year-round supply of healthy food for family, friends, and local food banks.

In retirement Grace enjoyed attending Seattle Symphony performances and Seattle Mariners baseball games with John. They spent time with their two local grandchildren as well as traveling to see grandchildren in Bismarck ND, Ft. Wayne IN and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Grace also continued to research the health benefits of certain minerals, especially magnesium and manganese and enjoyed making “experimental food,” as she called it.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents of Oregon City, her sister Nancy Alice Friedrich Lean of Juneau, AK, and her beloved husband John. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Richard and Celeste (Mitchell) of Covington WA, Philip and Jennifer (McDaniel) of Spokane, WA, Paul and Julia (Park), of Bellevue, WA, and Mary and Mike Hembree of Fort Wayne Indiana; ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Grace is also survived by her sister Phyllis Friedrich Gehring of Oregon City, sister-in-law Marjorie Ogden Ogren of Hickory, NC, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service for Grace will be held on May 31 at 11 a.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Federal Way with inurnment at Tahoma National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to the Food Bank at Multi-Service Center in Federal Way or made to a food bank of your choice.