Elizabeth Goering was a well-loved matriarch with a passion for peace and justice
Born in rural Butler County, Kansas, she was the eldest
child of Albert S. and Florence Schumi Claassen. She grew up working on the
family farm and caring for her 7 younger siblings. The family attended Emmaus
Mennonite Church where she joined the congregation after her baptism. Her
formal education began in a one-room elementary school; she graduated from
Whitewater High School in 1938.
Her Christian religious beliefs remained solid through her
entire life and served as a firm foundation for her passionate desire to learn,
explore and grow.
She enrolled in Bethel College from 1939 to 1941, attained
her teaching certificate and taught for 2 years at Good Hope School in Marion
County. While at Bethel, she met the love of her life, Victor Goering. They
were married on June 11, 1943. By that time, Vic had been drafted into Civilian
Public Service (CPS), so they were unable to establish a traditional household.
Elizabeth found work either near Vic's CPS posts (in Hill City, South Dakota,
Marlboro, New Jersey, and Terry, Montana) or returned to Kansas to teach
school.
After the war, the couple began farming in central Kansas,
first on rental farms near McPherson and Halstead, then on their own land
northeast of Moundridge. Elizabeth devoted herself to helping with the farm
operation, managing the household, and nurturing their 4 children. She also was
a skilled seamstress and a baker extraordinaire.
But her consummate skills in domestic and farm life did not
preclude other passions. She was also an active feminist, an avid reader,
politically involved and never afraid to speak her truth. She marched with her
children in protest of the Vietnam War and was always involved with women's and
civil rights, including attending speeches by Gloria Steinem. She was an active
participant in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom for many
years.
In 1959, after her children were all in school, she returned
to teaching in local elementary schools, while at the same time taking college
classes at night and over the summers to complete her bachelor's degree,
graduating from Bethel in 1965.
That same year she started a 17-year career as a first-grade
teacher in the Hesston Unified School District. At Hesston, she taught the
gifted children's program, where she was able to integrate her love of teaching
with her boundless creativity. Her teaching career spanned more than 50 years.
With Victor also working full time in the educational field,
they were able to give up the farming operation in 1968. Elizabeth appreciated
having time for travel and other activities. She delved deeply into her family
history and genealogy, tracing roots back to the Vistula River delta in Poland,
County Roscommon in Ireland, and Canton Bern in Switzerland.
Over the years, Vic and Elizabeth opened their home to many
friends, relatives, and travelers. They formed special bonds with Polish
agricultural trainees Grazyna and Vonda, whom they would later visit during
some of their many trips to Europe. Other international travel opportunities
included trips to Asia (Taiwan, China and Japan) and South America (Peru and
the Mennonite settlements in Paraguay).
After retiring from teaching in 1983, she and Victor moved
to Elkhart, Indiana for 2 years to volunteer at the Mennonite Seminary. Upon
return to Kansas, they remained on the farm until 1993, when they moved to a
home near the Bethel campus in North Newton. They spent their final years at
Kidron Bethel Village.
Elizabeth is survived by her 4 children: Steven (Stein)
Goering and wife Barbara Duerksen of Richland Center, WI, Rachel (Rachelle)
Goering and partner Todd Lejnieks of Cave Creek, AZ, Deborah (Deb) Teitelbaum
and husband Howard of Scottsdale, AZ; Terence (TR) Goering and wife Kit of
Newton, KS; 6 grandchildren: Kate Rutschman, Stephanie Lang Lynch, Scott
Goering, Kelsey Goering, Nelson Goering, and Joel Goering; 5
great-grandchildren, and 5 siblings: Elva Unruh, Mildred Voran, Dora Golden,
John Claassen, and Virgil Claassen. She was preceded in death by her husband of
73 years, Victor Goering, in 2016, and siblings Louis Claassen and Ruth Janzen.
In accordance with Elizabeth's wishes her body will be
cremated. A memorial service is tentatively planned for the spring of 2022, but
no date has been set.
Memorial donations may be made to the Mennonite Central
Committee, Kauffman Museum, or Mennonite Women USA online, or in care of
Moundridge Funeral Home, PO Box 410, Moundridge, Kansas 67107.
