GOETTSCH, Murlen Henry Hans

GOETTSCH, KULLMAN, DELPERDANG, GRANDY, KOLPIN, STEFFEN, DUITSMAN, PAUTSCH, WALLECK, PIERCE, BRUNKE

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 9/21/2006 at 15:59:36

Cherokee Chronicle Times, Thursday, September 21, 2006

Murlen H. Goettsch

Murlen Goettsch, 87, of Galva, Iowa died Monday, Sept. 18, 2006 at the Holstein Good Samaritan Center, after a lengthy illness.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Holstein, with Father David Hemann officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Holstein.

Military Rites will be by Dibbern American Legion Post 454 of Galva.

Visitation is Wednesday 4 to 8 p.m. with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a vigil service at 5 p.m. at the church. Barker Funeral Home in Holstein is in charge of the arrangements.

Murlen was born on April 11, 1919 on a farm northeast of Holstein to Elmer and Lilllian (Kullman) Goettsch. He attended Holstein Public Schools and farmed with his father. Murlen married Florence Delperdang on Nov. 15, 1941 in Cherokee. To this union seven children were born.

Three weeks after their marriage, Pearl Harbor was bombed, and Murlen was called to defend our country. He served in the 43rd Division, 169th Infantry of the United States Army, and spent 40 months in the south Pacific from 1941 to 1945. He received Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Badge and Expert Marksmanship awards, and two Purple Hearts, in 1992, 50 years after his discharge he was unexpectedly awarded the Bronze Star, and the WWII American Campaign medals for heroism, by Congressman Fred Grandy.

After his discharge he farmed with his father northeast of Holstein. The Goettsches were members of the Cherokee Flying Club, and managed the Cherokee Gun Club for many years. Murlen piloted his own plane on many cattle buying ventures, and treated his family on many pleasure flights in the Midwest. He was a member of the Galva American Legion post #454 and was a volunteer firefighter. He served as a 4-H leader. He was an avid bowler and enjoyed golf, fishing, horseshoes, dancing and traveling. He was a member of the Northwest Woodcarvers Association, and had exhibited many of his carvings. Murlen enjoyed his gun collection, which included every Remington model, and had his total collection auctioned in 2002. He continued farming with family and especially loved his combines, which he continued doing into retirement. He started Goettsch Trucking in 1968.

They moved to their new home in Galva in 1981. They retired from farming, cattle raising and trucking in 1984. Florence died May 24, 1994. Murlen married Mary Kolpin in 1995. He entered the Good Samaritan Home at Holstein in November of 2005.

Survivors include his wife Mary; his children, Jacquelyn Goettsch of Sioux City, Paul (Carol) Goettsch of Yankton, SD, Margaret (Carroll) Steffen and Kathy Goettsch of Minneapolis, Dale (Ellen) Goettsch of Burnsville, Minn., Tom (Jan) Goettsch, and Brian (Barnie) Goettsch, Galva; eleven grandchildren, Desiree (Terry) Duitsman, Matthew Goettsch, Nathan Goettsch, Amy (Kurt) Pautsch, Andy (Janelle) Goettsch, Abby (Phil) Walleck, Amber Goettsch, Alan (Keely) Goettsch, Stephanie Pierce, Ryan Goettsch, Nicole Goettsch, and step grand-son Wayne (Melody) Brunke; great grandchildren, Karyssa, Myranda, Haley, Elizabeth, Katherine, Laura, Anne, Tristen, Austin, Kallie, Drew, Noah, Graca and Isaac; his sister, Ferne (Verne) Nicolaisen, his aunt Myrtle (Raymond) Goettsch.

Murlen was preceded in death by his wife Florence; his granddaughter, Ann Elizabeth Goettsch, his parents; a brother, Lloyd; sisters, Mildred Leonard and Loretta Freese.