Elizabeth Jean Goettsch

Elizabeth (Betty) Jean Goettsch was born May 9, 1931, in Council Bluffs, IA. She was the third child (first daughter) of Fred Raymond Burnham Sr and Elizabeth (Pace) Burnham. When she was 2 years old, her family returned to the Burnham family Homestead farm near Griswold, IA.
She graduated from Griswold High School in May 1948 and was married to Randall William Goettsch of Atlantic IA on March 20, 1949, at the First Presbyterian Church in Griswold. She and Randall began their married life on a farm southwest of Griswold, where Randall was employed by Merrill Mayberry. Later that year, Merrill, and his wife decided to retire and move to Atlantic, so Randall found himself out of a job. The couple then moved into an apartment in Griswold and Randall started working for Wayne Rutledge Plumbing and Windmill Repair in Elliott, IA. In 1950, after their first daughter, Judy Elizabeth, was born, they moved into the Methodist parsonage in Elliott to be closer to Randall's job, but then Wayne Rutledge and his family moved to Council Bluffs IA to take on plumbing jobs in Omaha NE and Randall was unemployed again. At this time, Betty and Randall moved in with her Grandmother Pace in Council Bluffs and Randall took a job with a different plumbing company there. The poor health of Randall's father made it necessary for him and Betty to move back to Elliott, IA to help on his father's farm. After his father had recovered, Randall took a job with the Fullerton lumberyard in Griswold, IA and then with the Montgomery County Road Crew. During this time, daughters Jeanette and Jeanne were born. In February 1959, Randall, Betty and their 3 girls moved to a farm southwest of Villisca IA and Randall went to work for C. Leonard Posten. In April of that same year, the couple joined the First Presbyterian Church of Villisca, and it became a major focus in their lives. Betty taught Sunday school, served as an Elder, a Deacon, Clerk of Session and served on the Inter­ church council. She was President and later Moderator of the Presbyterian Women's Association, where she served for many years.
In 1970, the Good Samaritan Society opened a facility in Villisca and Betty was hired as the only housekeeper. She worked hard, the housekeeping department expanded, and she became Housekeeping Director, a position she held through 6 administrators and finally retired in February 2006 at the age of 74. In 1989, the First Presbyterian Church of Villisca opened their doors to a 40th wedding anniversary supper for Randall and Betty so their daughters, brothers, sisters, other family members and many friends could help them make a profound memory of the celebration.
On March 9, 2012, Betty's husband, Randall, passed away and her life changed drastically. She continued to be active in her church, and her daughters and their families tried to keep her company as best they could. Due to age and failing health, Betty moved into the Good Samaritan Society facility in Villisca on January 13, 2019, and remained there the rest of her life. Betty passed away peacefully on April 2nd, 2025, at Good Samaritan Society Villisca.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her mother, her father, her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, 2 brothers, a sister, 4 sisters-in-law, 4 brothers-in-law and 2 sons-in-law.
She is survived by her 3 daughters, Judy Hilt, Kansas City, Kansas, Jeanette (Don) Poore, Florence, South Carolina, and Jeanne (Bill) McGinnis, Glenwood, IA, 1 brother-in-law, Russell (Kathleen) Goettsch, Summerville, South Carolina, 2 sisters-in-law, Adra Ann Goettsch, Webster City Iowa and Sharon (Dwight) Svuba, Ofallon Missouri, 7 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials can be made to the Good Samaritan Society of Villisca or to the First Presbyterian Church of Villisca.