ELLINWOOD — Leonard Goosen, 90, passed away in Ellinwood, KS on Oct. 17, 2019.
Leonard, Retired Elder of Kansas West Conf., was born Dec. 1, 1928 at Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada. He received most of his theological education in Canada, graduating with a Bachelor of Theology from the Mennonite Brethren Bible College at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Later he received his B.A. degree from Tabor College in Kansas. While at Tabor College he began preaching at a former Evangelical United Brethren Church in Moundridge. In 1964 he moved to Moundridge and joined the Evangelical United Brethren Church and also was ordained a Deacon of the former Evangelical United Brethren Conference. In 1968, at the Uniting Conference of the former Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches, he was ordained an Elder of the United Methodist Church.
Leonard served the following churches: Moundridge, Alexander-McCracken, Ashland, Elkhart, Udall-Peck, Ellinwood-Mt. Pleasant. He loved serving churches in rural communities and loved the farm people and open spaces of Western Kansas. He also loved to ski, taking many church youth groups on ski trips to the Rocky Mountains.
On November 9, 1950 he married Betty Jane Schmidt. Leonard & Betty became U.S. citizens on Sept. 22, 1970 at a ceremony in Wichita. April 10, 1991, Betty, his wife and helpmate of 40 years died of cancer. Four years later, on June 17, 1995, he married Donita Gisick Zoellner. After retiring from the ministry in 1997, he and Donita did a lot of traveling. They especially enjoyed going on Volunteers-in-Mission trips for RV’ers.
Survivors include wife, Donita Goosen; daughter, Gwendolyn Grace Marian; Birmingham, AL; step-sons, Kyle Zoellner, Kansas City, KS, Kirk (Sandra) Zoellner, Mokena, IL; sister-in-law, Vivian (Schmidt) Gossen, Peggy (Elmer) Reddecopp. Other survivors include nieces & nephews, Judy & Howie Wall, Allen & Denise Goosen, Ted & Janet Friesen, Ginnny & Gord Voth, Wayne Friesen, Gerald and Fern Friesen, Elaine Beattie, Judy and Howard Wall.
He was predeceased by first wife, Betty Schmidt; parents; and siblings, Martha (Bill), Issac (Mary) Eva, Tilly (John), Emma, & Bill.
Funeral service will be 11:00 AM, Friday, Nov. 1st at United Methodist Church in Ellinwood, KS. Burial will follow at Ninnescah Cemetery, Udall, KS at 3:30 PM. Visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 31st at Minnis Chapel in Ellinwood, KS from 3-7 PM. Donations are suggested to any church Leonard had served in care of Minnis Chapel, PO Box 246, Ellinwood, KS 67526.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Minnis Chapel
P.O. Box 246
Ellinwood, KS 67526
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Oct. 29, 2019
