Emelia Goetz

Emelia Goetz, 103, passed into the presence of the Lord on Monday, September 19, 2016, at the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck, ND. Visitation will be held from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Friday, September 23, at the Baptist Health Care Center, 3400 Nebraska Dr., Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 4:00 pm. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, September 24, at the Akaska Community Center in Akaska, SD. Burial will be at the Akaska Cemetery, Akaska, SD. Emelia was born March 17, 1913, on the homestead farm northwest of Mound City, SD, to Fredrick and Katherine Ehrmann. A few months before she was born, her dad passed away of diabetes leaving her mother to take care of seven children and the farm for about two years. Then her mother married her deceased husband’s brother, Jacob Ehrmann, who had lost his wife and had five children. This brought two families together with 12 children to be raised. Farming and economic times were hard, so some of the children were given over to the care of other families in the area. As time went by, Emelia’s mother and stepdad had four more children, bringing the total to 16. Emelia’s parents were very poor, and she had to work extremely hard on the farm doing chores and milking cows. At the age of 19, she met Philip Goetz of Akaska, SD, and a year later on October 3, 1933, they were married at the homestead of Christian and Rosina Goetz. Phil and Emelia lived most of their lives on the farm, six miles south of Akaska, raising livestock and crops. In the fall of 1969, they retired and a year later moved into the town of Akaska. After her husband, Phil’s passing in January 1987, Emelia and her son, Wayne, continued to live in Akaska until September of 1999, when she moved to Bismarck, ND, to be closer to family. Emelia lived a strong and amazing life of faith and trust in God. She was very disciplined in daily Bible reading, prayer, and attending church. She had a loving and kind heart for everyone. She came to faith in Christ at an early age and never wavered in her trust in God. She was a woman who prayed much for her family, the church, and missionary work around the world. Her family owes her a huge debt of gratitude. Her legacy of faith will live on for generations to come. She is survived by her son, LaRue (Barbara) of Bismarck, ND; her son, Wayne of Redwood Village, Wilton, ND; and her daughter, Frances of Bismarck, ND; along with five grandchildren, Elizabeth (Jeffrey) Lindvall, Lakewood, CO, David (Jana) Goetz, Wheaton, IL, Patricia (Kent) Hinkel, Minot, ND, Pamela Goetz, Bismarck, ND, and Dr. Matthew (Cynthia) Goetz, Rochester, MN; 17 great-grandchildren; and two half-sisters in Pontiac, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband, Philip; two brothers; four sisters; two step-brothers; three step-sisters; one half-sister; and a half brother who was killed in France during World War II. Memorials may be given to Revival Prayer Fellowship, 3541 Village Circle, Bismarck, ND, 58503, or the Baptist Health Care Center, 3400 Nebraska Dr., Bismarck, ND, 58503.