Goering, Lavina Mae Ediger (1928-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 May 16 p. 8

Birth date: 1928 Jan 30

text of obituary:

LAVINA MAE GOERING

Lavina Mae Goering, 77, of Topeka, Kan., died May 4, 2005. She was born Jan. 30, 1928, to Henry H. and Marie Schmidt Ediger on a farm near Moundridge.

She was baptized May 29, 1944, and joined Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church. She graduated from Buhler High School in 1946.

She married Emil L. Goering on Sept. 1, 1948. She was very supportive and helpful in furthering her husband's attainment of an M.D. degree in 1956.

After he finished his internship, they moved to Mountain Lake, Minn. They purchased an old home, which she decorated with great charm. She reluctantly moved from Mountain Lake to Pretty Prairie, where they again purchased a large home and she redecorated it. She was very active in the Mennonite church in Pretty Prairie. She loved entertaining, and several times a year would invite three or four couples over for dinner. In 1963, they again needed to move, this time to Hutchinson. Here she was active in the Hutchinson Mennonite church and in community affairs, including the Reno County Medical Society Auxiliary. She took up golf and became quite good at it.

In 1970 she again had to give up home, church and friends when they moved to Topeka for her husband's medical career. There she became active in Southern Hills Mennonite Church, where she served as president of the Friendship Circle for a year. She was a master quilter and helped Friendship Circle with their annual quilt to the Kansas MCC Sale for many years. In 1983 she was instrumental in organizing the Olive Branch, a combination thrift store and gift shop, which was an outreach of Southern Hills. She was co-manager of the store for several years.

Survivors include her husband, Emil; five children, Beth Tanner and her husband, Allan, of Wichita, Michael Goering and his wife, Lyn, of Topeka, Les Goering and his wife, Linda, of Topeka, Tom Goering and his wife, Deb, of Garner, N.C., and Jonas Goering and his wife, Sherry, of Topeka; and nine grandchildren.

Memorial services were held at Southern Hills Mennonite Church.