Florence Azile Altrogge, nee Dean, age 104, passed away on Friday May 2, 2014 at the Cedar Ridge Rehab & Health Center, Lebanon, Ill.

Azile was born July 1, 1909 on a farm in Audrain County, Mo., the seventh of eight children of Anna F. Dean, nee Metcalfe, and Charles Henry Dean.

She graduated with the last class at McMillan High School in Mexico, Mo. in 1927. With a teacher's certificate from high school and two summers at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., Azile taught for five years in the Cedar Grove Rural School District and one year in the Beaver Dam School District. Just before the bank failures of 1929, Azile made arrangements with a local bank for a loan to buy her first car, a Model A Ford. When the bank failed, she taught without pay until the banks reopened a year later and she was able to pay off the car loan. She also bought a mule and some household items for her impending marriage to a young farmer.

Azile married Emmett C. Altrogge on March 19, 1932 in Mexico, Mo., and they were married for 56 years prior to his death April 2, 1988. For many years she was a bookkeeper for her husband's business, the Altrogge Trucking business of Mexico, as well as a homemaker. Together they raised two daughters, Iris and Phyllis. In 1961 Azile graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia and she taught fourth and fifth grades at Hawthorne School until her retirement in 1975. In December of 2004 she was one of nine retired employees of the Mexico School District honored with the Pioneer in Education Award in recognition of their service to the Mexico Public Schools.

Azile was a very involved member of the Mexico United Methodist Church for many years, including its church circles. She was an avid gardener, and flowers were her passion, providing the Methodist church with altar arrangements for many years. She was also an active member of the Mexico Garden Club and a long time member of the What-So-Ever Circle of the King's Daughters . Azile loved to bake and was famous for her gooseberry pies. She was an avid bridge player into her 99th year, playing bridge twice a month for many years. Azile was talented in sewing, making most of her daughters' clothing when they were in elementary school, and engaging in other handiwork such as quilting and crafting. She and Emmett were also volunteers for the Meals on Wheels program for many years . At the age of 99, Azile sold her car and moved to The Grand Manor, an independent living facility in Swansea, Ill., to be near her family. Many of her friends from Mexico traveled to the Grand Manor in July, 2009 for a party celebrating her 100th birthday. Her last residence was in the assisted living facility, The Fountains of Shiloh.

In addition to her husband, Emmett, Azile was preceded in death by her parents, six brothers, Henry, Foy, Fred, Wallace, Harvey and Dorris (Pat) and one sister, Jennie (Harry) Woolery.

Azile is survived by her daughters, Iris (Covert) Soule' of O'Fallon, Ill., and Dr. Phyllis (Matthew) Murphy of McLean, Va. Also surviving are three grandchildren, Chip (Christina) Soule' of O'Fallon, Ill., Cathy (Rick) Combs of Swansea, Ill., and Carolyn (Tim) Monson of Arlington Heights, Ill., as well as seven great-grandchildren, Cass and Mary Kate Soule', Caitlin, Kyle and Callie Combs, and Grant and Kevin Monson. To her seven great-grandchildren, she was known as "GG."

Memorials may be made to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, 401Hackensack Avenue, 9th Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601 or to the Mexico United Methodist Church, 122 W. Promenade Street, Mexico, MO 65265. Condolences may be expressed at www.wfh-ofallon.com or www.arnoldfh.com.

Visitation: Friends may call from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., Thursday May 8, 2014 at the Mexico United Methodist Church, Mexico, Mo.

Funeral: Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 8, 2014, at the church, with Rev. Karen Taylor officiating. Burial will be at the Elmwood Cemetery in Mexico, Mo., under the direction of Arnold Funeral Home, Mexico, Mo.

Serving as pallbearers will be Colonel Covert A. Soule', Jr. , USAF, Ret., Matthew F. Murphy, Covert A. Soule' III., Richard A. Combs, Timothy A. Monson and Carl Altrogge.

Local arrangements entrusted to Wolfersberger Funeral Home, O'Fallon, Ill.