Lawrence Emil Gosch 1913-2007

GOSCH EVERS CHRISTIANSEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 12/20/2009 at 01:43:01

Sioux City Journal
Monday, May 14, 2007

MAPLETON, Iowa -- Lawrence E. Gosch, 93, of Mapleton passed away peacefully on Friday, May 11, 2007, with his daughter by his side at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Mapleton, with the Rev. Dr. Scott Fiege officiating. Burial will be in St. Clair Cemetery at Ute, Iowa. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton.

Lawrence Emil Gosch was born on July 24, 1913, on a farm south of Ute, Iowa, to Emil and Hilda (Evers) Gosch. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ute. He received his education at St. Paul's Lutheran School and in a country school.

On Sept. 11, 1935, Lawrence was united in marriage to Marie Christiansen at the Lutheran Church Parsonage in Ute, by the Rev. E.H. Widman. The couple started farming on his father's farm northwest of Ute. They were blessed with three children, Wayne, Ladean and Gordon. In 1945, they purchased a farm northwest of Mapleton. In 1963, they had a farm sale and moved into Mapleton, where they bought the C.P. Barton Hardware Store. In 1977, they retired from the hardware business.

Throughout the years, Lawrence and Marie would go camping, and some years would spend part of the winter months in California with their son, Gordon and wife, Debra. Lawrence was always busy making wood crafts for his family. At times he would help his son-in-law with jobs on the farm. He enjoyed the outdoors and enjoyed being with and doing fun things with all of his family. Lawrence was a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Mapleton.

Those left to cherish his memory are two sons, Wayne and his wife, Myrna of Mapleton and Gordon and his wife, Debra of Newcastle, Calif.; a daughter, Ladean Baird and her husband, Warren of Moville, Iowa; his grandchildren, Beth (Baird) Seggerman and husband, David, Brenda (Gosch) Schaben and husband, Mark, Denise Gosch, Douglas Baird and wife, Erin, Kevin Gosch and wife, Suzie; 11 great-grandchildren, Nicole, Tyler, Justin, Jared, Marissa, Alex, Lexie, Cambria, Camrin, Keegan and Talia; a stepsister, Lorraine Wessel of Ida Grove, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Robert Christiansen and wife, Evelyn of Mapleton and Elmer Christiansen and wife, Dee of Hutchinson, Kan.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; Marie, his wife of nearly 71 years; an infant daughter, Debra; and a great-grandson, Kyle Schaben.