Mabel Goering

Our beautiful mother, Mabel Goering, blessed this world with her presence for 97 years. She was born on June 5, 1927, and not a day has gone by that she wasn't filled with laughter, peace, and the grace of God. Mabel was the second child of Siegfried and Edna (Graber) Stucky. She attended Prairie View Grade School, near Elyria, and attended Moundridge High School, graduating in 1945. Mabel was baptized on June 6, 1943, by Reverend Walter Gering at the Eden Mennonite Church in Moundridge, Kansas.
Early in Mabel's adult life, she worked for Farmers Alliance Insurance Agency in McPherson until she met the love of her life, Reuben J. Goering. They were married on October 2, 1947, at the Eden Mennonite Church. They were blessed with four children, Cosalee, Jacki, Jay, and Cindy. They have six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Reuben and Mabel lived and raised their children in Buhler, Kansas and Phoenix, Arizona. Mabel loved people – everyone she met. She expressed this by her service to the First Mennonite Church in Phoenix and to the public with her work with Avon, JCPenney, and Valley National Bank, from which she retired in 1988. After she and Reuben retired, they traveled with friends from the church to Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, Washington DC, Mississippi, and other places where she loved to see and meet the local people. While at home in Phoenix, they were hosts to many church family events, especially their rousing New Year's Eve events, which entertained and delighted the entire church congregation.
In 1994, Mabel and Reuben returned to their hometown of Moundridge, Kansas to be near their siblings and to enjoy the sweet life of retirement at the Moundridge Memorial Home, where they were the first to reside in the newly built Krehbiel Apartments at Pine Village. Mabel cared for Reuben after his stroke and did volunteer work for the home, which filled her with great pleasure. Mabel served in many areas at Pine Village, from delivering mail, changing bed sheets, turning off/on lights, locking/unlocking all the doors in the complex every morning and night, served on the Memorial Home Council, and many other odd jobs. She was unstoppable in her desire to serve others, fulfilling her Christ-driven passion.
Mabel also loved to hug others and to receive their hugs in return. She was known to her grandchildren as the "huggin' grandma". She also enjoyed fast cars and speeding with the grocery cart. Her dearest, and only, grandson nicknamed her "Hot Rod Mabel" and the name stuck for some 30 years until she gave up her car in 2018.
Mabel often reflected on Bible verses that were meaningful to her. She also felt the presence of Jesus with her in all she did, in all she thought, in all she prayed for. She always said she was blessed with her life, her health, her loving husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. But her family and friends are the ones that were truly blessed by Mabel. She will be missed more than we can express.
Those who will miss her most are daughter Cosalee (Rick) Mast, daughter Jacki McKee, son Jay (Vickie) Goering, and daughter Cindy (Mickey) Bannister. She is also survived by her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her sister Tillie Zerger and many loved family members.
She was preceded in death by her wonderful husband, Reuben, her loving parents, her brothers Marvin and Merle, her son-in-law Tom McKee, and other dear family members we fondly remember.
Hallelujah! Mabel is home.
Family will greet friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Monday, December 16, 2024 at the Moundridge Funeral Home. Private burial will take place at Eden Church Cemetery. Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 17, at Eden Mennonite Church, rural Moundridge. The services will be livestreamed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81236052110?pwd=ABThz6rgUuMaFbM3dwiD9csRbVdFEm.1, Meeting ID: 812 3605 2110, Passcode: 67107. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pine Village in care of Moundridge Funeral Home, PO Box 410, Moundridge, KS 67107.