Wayne Otto Gooding

1925 - 2017

BOWEN, Ill. -- Wayne Otto Gooding, 92, previously of Bowen, died at 4:15 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 2017, at Sunset Home.

Wayne was born on the family farm south of Bowen on Jan. 31, 1925, to Otto Edward and Martha Jane (Willard) Gooding. He resided on the family farm until his marriage on March 17, 1946, to Wanda Lee McCants (Kinman) of LaPrairie.

Wayne and Wanda farmed south of Bowen, on the Adams/Hancock county line, for the first 32 years of their married life, where they raised six children. In 1962 Wayne attended the REISCH auction college in Mason City, Iowa, and pursued that occupation along with farming until 1980, when he retired from farming in order to devote his full time to his auctioneering profession. He owned and operated Gooding's Auction Center in Bowen until Oct. 1, 1998. He continued auctioneering until 2011.

He was a member of the Illinois and National Auctioneers associations and was also a volunteer fireman with the Bowen Fire Department. He was of the Methodist faith. Wayne was always eager to volunteer help wherever he saw a need. When he had time, Wayne enjoyed bowling, playing cards and traveling. Wayne was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and was deeply loved and respected by a host of family and friends.

Besides his wife, Wayne is survived by five children, David Wayne (Betty) of Lincoln, Mo., Patricia Ann (Richard) Thomas of Monroe, Mich., Barbara Joan (Gerald) Neill of Taylor, Texas, Ricky Dale (Trish) of Augusta and Paula Kay (Monte) Mongreig of Branson, Mo.; 17 grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 16 stepgreat-grandchildren; one stepgreat-great-grandchild; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by three sons, Richard Wayne and Jerry Lee in infancy and Stephen Paul in 2015; his father and mother; his sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy May (Clarence) Craft; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Edward (Fern) Gooding and Dayne (Wanda) Gooding; a great-grandson, Alexander Neill; and a stepgrandson, Donnie McMillen.

SERVICES: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at Hamilton Funeral Home, Augusta, with Rev. Tom Mehaffy conducting.

VISITATION: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at Hamilton Funeral Home. Cremation will follow the funeral service, with private family burial services in Ebenezer Church Cemetery at a later date.

MEMORIALS: Ebenezer Cemetery fund or Bowen Fire Department.

ARRANGEMENTS: Hamilton Funeral Home.

Condolences may be expressed online at whig.com