Myrna Lougee Vaughan Zabloudil, 87, passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at her home. She was born on Sept. 12, 1937, to Roy Lougee Vaughan and Geneva Ethel Murphy Vaughan. She lived in Burlington her entire life.
She taught music at Horace Mann Junior High for 32 years.
Myrna attended school in Burlington when it was located on the top story of the old High School on Valley Street. She then went to the University of Iowa to major in music; graduating in 1959. While in college, she played violin in the orchestra for two years under director, James Dixon. She taught one year in Chariton, Iowa and then became a teacher in the same school she attended as a child.
Along with teaching, she began writing music. She wrote and produced a ninth grade operetta entitled "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair". She was the choir director for First United Methodist Church for over 20 years. When the church purchased seven octaves of English Hand-bells, she became the director, and wrote and arranged many hymns. Myrna composed "Jubilation" which was chosen to be played at the Hand-bell National Convention in Oklahoma. Myrna also wrote a selection for the Delta Queen and the Mississippi Queen, and got to play the calliope when it entered Burlington. She composed an additional hand-bell piece entitled "Ring of Peace", a selection which is played by two, three-octave hand-bell choirs who play antiphonally (answering each other) on different sides of the First United Methodist Church balcony.
Myrna loved the outdoors and all of nature. She was a 10 year member of the Master Gardeners and also belonged to the Great River Garden Club.
On April 16, 1990, she married Dr. Warren Charles Zabloudil. He preceded her in death on Nov. 30, 2012.
She is survived by her second cousin, David Vaughan.
Besides her husband, Myrna was preceded in death by her parents, and sister, Beverly Jane.
The memorial service for Mrs. Zabloudil will be 10 a.m. Friday, May 9, 2025, at Prugh Funeral Service, 3940 Division Street, with Pastor DaMisha McFarland-Pollock officiating. Burial will follow at Aspen Grove Cemetery.
A memorial has been established for Bethany Lutheran Church.