Al was a Presbyterian minister all his adult life, like his brother, his father, and his grandfather -- and like both of Al's brothers-in-law. Also, Al's oldest son became a Presbyterian minister.
Al's parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China. Al and wife Marilyn met at Hastings College, Hastings, NE, when they were both students there. Al's churches were, first, five small Presbyterian churches at and near Wise River, MT. It was a 150-mile drive to circulate to all those churches. He led services in three of the churches on Sundays, and held services on other days of the week at the other two congregations. From there he went to First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, MT, then Powell, WY, then Scottsdale Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ, then First Presbyterian Church, Ft. Collins, CO. He was Stated Clerk of Rocky Mountain Synod for several years. When living in Scottsdale, AZ they lived at 8041 East Wilshire Dr.
In Ft. Collins they lived at 720 Arbor, house #26. In 2005 Al and Marilyn moved to a senior living community in Mesa, Arizona.
After retirement from First Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins Al became the Interim Executive of Box Butte Presbytery so Marilyn and Al lived in Morrill, Nebraska for a year. Then Al became the Interim Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Ft Morgan, Colorado for a year.
His son, Rev James Goodenberger, then became the pastor of that church and Marilyn and Al moved back to their home in Ft Collins. Al discovered he had cancerous cells in his prostate in July 1994, had his prostate removed Aug 15 1994 and seemed to do well after that. He later had some heart difficulties, but they, too, seemed to be managed well.
In 1997 we learned that the community in which Al was born (Kiulungkiang) in China, was by then known as "Jing Hong." Kiulungkiang was a village of 200 people when the Goodenbergers lived there to do Christian mission work. In 1997 it is an industrial city of 12,000. (There is more on this in the notes related to Al's father.)
Al was a good preacher. He had a terrific singing voice, which he passed on to his children. To hear Al and his children sing together was a great, great joy. As he lay dying his family sang him "home" with good old hymns...for two hours they sang. While Al was seemingly "out" his toe sometimes tapped to the tune. Patients in other nearby rooms in that hospice house all opened their doors to listen to that heavenly Goodenberger chorus. What a great way to die.
He died at 5:00 AM. His sons Jim and Bob were with him at the time. There was a memorial service for Al on May 17, 2014 at the church he and Marilyn had been attending, Gilbert Presbyterian Church, Gilbert, AZ.
Al and wife Marilyn (Lois Marilyn Ollis) were married August 19, 1948 in the Presbyterian Church in Ord, Nebraska (Marilyn's home town and home church). They had six children:
Rev. James Ernest "Jim," born 1950
William David "Bill," born 1953
Steven Ollis "Steve," born 1954
Jean Allyn, born 1955
Robert John "Bob," born 1957
Kenneth Earl "Ken," born 1960
Marilyn and all the children survive him, as did his only two siblings: Rev. John Goodenberger, and Miss Dorothy Goodenberger, both living in Portland, OR.
Al's cremains will are being held until his wife Marilyn dies (she died in 2016), when they will be all put in a nice mahogany first aid box made by Al's father years before. Interred at an outdoor columbarium next to the Chapel in the Pines Church at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado...as requested by both Al and Marilyn.
Al's parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China. Al and wife Marilyn met at Hastings College, Hastings, NE, when they were both students there. Al's churches were, first, five small Presbyterian churches at and near Wise River, MT. It was a 150-mile drive to circulate to all those churches. He led services in three of the churches on Sundays, and held services on other days of the week at the other two congregations. From there he went to First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, MT, then Powell, WY, then Scottsdale Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ, then First Presbyterian Church, Ft. Collins, CO. He was Stated Clerk of Rocky Mountain Synod for several years. When living in Scottsdale, AZ they lived at 8041 East Wilshire Dr.
In Ft. Collins they lived at 720 Arbor, house #26. In 2005 Al and Marilyn moved to a senior living community in Mesa, Arizona.
After retirement from First Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins Al became the Interim Executive of Box Butte Presbytery so Marilyn and Al lived in Morrill, Nebraska for a year. Then Al became the Interim Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Ft Morgan, Colorado for a year.
His son, Rev James Goodenberger, then became the pastor of that church and Marilyn and Al moved back to their home in Ft Collins. Al discovered he had cancerous cells in his prostate in July 1994, had his prostate removed Aug 15 1994 and seemed to do well after that. He later had some heart difficulties, but they, too, seemed to be managed well.
In 1997 we learned that the community in which Al was born (Kiulungkiang) in China, was by then known as "Jing Hong." Kiulungkiang was a village of 200 people when the Goodenbergers lived there to do Christian mission work. In 1997 it is an industrial city of 12,000. (There is more on this in the notes related to Al's father.)
Al was a good preacher. He had a terrific singing voice, which he passed on to his children. To hear Al and his children sing together was a great, great joy. As he lay dying his family sang him "home" with good old hymns...for two hours they sang. While Al was seemingly "out" his toe sometimes tapped to the tune. Patients in other nearby rooms in that hospice house all opened their doors to listen to that heavenly Goodenberger chorus. What a great way to die.
He died at 5:00 AM. His sons Jim and Bob were with him at the time. There was a memorial service for Al on May 17, 2014 at the church he and Marilyn had been attending, Gilbert Presbyterian Church, Gilbert, AZ.
Al and wife Marilyn (Lois Marilyn Ollis) were married August 19, 1948 in the Presbyterian Church in Ord, Nebraska (Marilyn's home town and home church). They had six children:
Rev. James Ernest "Jim," born 1950
William David "Bill," born 1953
Steven Ollis "Steve," born 1954
Jean Allyn, born 1955
Robert John "Bob," born 1957
Kenneth Earl "Ken," born 1960
Marilyn and all the children survive him, as did his only two siblings: Rev. John Goodenberger, and Miss Dorothy Goodenberger, both living in Portland, OR.
Al's cremains will are being held until his wife Marilyn dies (she died in 2016), when they will be all put in a nice mahogany first aid box made by Al's father years before. Interred at an outdoor columbarium next to the Chapel in the Pines Church at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado...as requested by both Al and Marilyn.
Al was a Presbyterian minister all his adult life, like his brother, his father, and his grandfather -- and like both of Al's brothers-in-law. Also, Al's oldest son became a Presbyterian minister.
Al's parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China. Al and wife Marilyn met at Hastings College, Hastings, NE, when they were both students there. Al's churches were, first, five small Presbyterian churches at and near Wise River, MT. It was a 150-mile drive to circulate to all those churches. He led services in three of the churches on Sundays, and held services on other days of the week at the other two congregations. From there he went to First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, MT, then Powell, WY, then Scottsdale Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ, then First Presbyterian Church, Ft. Collins, CO. He was Stated Clerk of Rocky Mountain Synod for several years. When living in Scottsdale, AZ they lived at 8041 East Wilshire Dr.
In Ft. Collins they lived at 720 Arbor, house #26. In 2005 Al and Marilyn moved to a senior living community in Mesa, Arizona.
After retirement from First Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins Al became the Interim Executive of Box Butte Presbytery so Marilyn and Al lived in Morrill, Nebraska for a year. Then Al became the Interim Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Ft Morgan, Colorado for a year.
His son, Rev James Goodenberger, then became the pastor of that church and Marilyn and Al moved back to their home in Ft Collins. Al discovered he had cancerous cells in his prostate in July 1994, had his prostate removed Aug 15 1994 and seemed to do well after that. He later had some heart difficulties, but they, too, seemed to be managed well.
In 1997 we learned that the community in which Al was born (Kiulungkiang) in China, was by then known as "Jing Hong." Kiulungkiang was a village of 200 people when the Goodenbergers lived there to do Christian mission work. In 1997 it is an industrial city of 12,000. (There is more on this in the notes related to Al's father.)
Al was a good preacher. He had a terrific singing voice, which he passed on to his children. To hear Al and his children sing together was a great, great joy. As he lay dying his family sang him "home" with good old hymns...for two hours they sang. While Al was seemingly "out" his toe sometimes tapped to the tune. Patients in other nearby rooms in that hospice house all opened their doors to listen to that heavenly Goodenberger chorus. What a great way to die.
He died at 5:00 AM. His sons Jim and Bob were with him at the time. There was a memorial service for Al on May 17, 2014 at the church he and Marilyn had been attending, Gilbert Presbyterian Church, Gilbert, AZ.
Al and wife Marilyn (Lois Marilyn Ollis) were married August 19, 1948 in the Presbyterian Church in Ord, Nebraska (Marilyn's home town and home church). They had six children:
Rev. James Ernest "Jim," born 1950
William David "Bill," born 1953
Steven Ollis "Steve," born 1954
Jean Allyn, born 1955
Robert John "Bob," born 1957
Kenneth Earl "Ken," born 1960
Marilyn and all the children survive him, as did his only two siblings: Rev. John Goodenberger, and Miss Dorothy Goodenberger, both living in Portland, OR.
Al's cremains will are being held until his wife Marilyn dies (she died in 2016), when they will be all put in a nice mahogany first aid box made by Al's father years before. Interred at an outdoor columbarium next to the Chapel in the Pines Church at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado...as requested by both Al and Marilyn.
Al's parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China. Al and wife Marilyn met at Hastings College, Hastings, NE, when they were both students there. Al's churches were, first, five small Presbyterian churches at and near Wise River, MT. It was a 150-mile drive to circulate to all those churches. He led services in three of the churches on Sundays, and held services on other days of the week at the other two congregations. From there he went to First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, MT, then Powell, WY, then Scottsdale Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ, then First Presbyterian Church, Ft. Collins, CO. He was Stated Clerk of Rocky Mountain Synod for several years. When living in Scottsdale, AZ they lived at 8041 East Wilshire Dr.
In Ft. Collins they lived at 720 Arbor, house #26. In 2005 Al and Marilyn moved to a senior living community in Mesa, Arizona.
After retirement from First Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins Al became the Interim Executive of Box Butte Presbytery so Marilyn and Al lived in Morrill, Nebraska for a year. Then Al became the Interim Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Ft Morgan, Colorado for a year.
His son, Rev James Goodenberger, then became the pastor of that church and Marilyn and Al moved back to their home in Ft Collins. Al discovered he had cancerous cells in his prostate in July 1994, had his prostate removed Aug 15 1994 and seemed to do well after that. He later had some heart difficulties, but they, too, seemed to be managed well.
In 1997 we learned that the community in which Al was born (Kiulungkiang) in China, was by then known as "Jing Hong." Kiulungkiang was a village of 200 people when the Goodenbergers lived there to do Christian mission work. In 1997 it is an industrial city of 12,000. (There is more on this in the notes related to Al's father.)
Al was a good preacher. He had a terrific singing voice, which he passed on to his children. To hear Al and his children sing together was a great, great joy. As he lay dying his family sang him "home" with good old hymns...for two hours they sang. While Al was seemingly "out" his toe sometimes tapped to the tune. Patients in other nearby rooms in that hospice house all opened their doors to listen to that heavenly Goodenberger chorus. What a great way to die.
He died at 5:00 AM. His sons Jim and Bob were with him at the time. There was a memorial service for Al on May 17, 2014 at the church he and Marilyn had been attending, Gilbert Presbyterian Church, Gilbert, AZ.
Al and wife Marilyn (Lois Marilyn Ollis) were married August 19, 1948 in the Presbyterian Church in Ord, Nebraska (Marilyn's home town and home church). They had six children:
Rev. James Ernest "Jim," born 1950
William David "Bill," born 1953
Steven Ollis "Steve," born 1954
Jean Allyn, born 1955
Robert John "Bob," born 1957
Kenneth Earl "Ken," born 1960
Marilyn and all the children survive him, as did his only two siblings: Rev. John Goodenberger, and Miss Dorothy Goodenberger, both living in Portland, OR.
Al's cremains will are being held until his wife Marilyn dies (she died in 2016), when they will be all put in a nice mahogany first aid box made by Al's father years before. Interred at an outdoor columbarium next to the Chapel in the Pines Church at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado...as requested by both Al and Marilyn.
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