Gerald Goodrich

     Mr. Goodrich, 97,  passed away peacefully at Heartland Care and Rehab of Cape Girardeau, MO to be with his Lord and Savior on February the 6^th 2022.  Gerald was the son of Roy and Ruth (Ramsey) Goodrich of Columbia City, Indiana.  He was born in Columbia Township on 24 September 1924. 

      Gerald was the 6^th of 9 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich, who preceded him in death, and the last of his siblings to pass on after a long and happy life.  He will be greatly missed by family and friends. 

      Mr. Goodrich was preceded in death not only by his parents but all of his  brothers and sisters, also his first wife of 56 years, Darlene Kay (Wineland) Goodrich of Columbia, City, IN, and three children,  Connie Joy (Goodrich) Stahlhut of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sharon Ann (Goodrich, Walker) Champa of Crawfordsville, Indiana,  and Samuel Price Goodrich of Holland, MI.  Mr. Goodrich also had two grandchildren preceded him in death,  Renae Stahlhut of Fort Wayne, IN and Isaac Walker of Stone Mountain, GA.

     Gerald is survived by his present wife Gwendolyn (Brunk, McCurdy, Slater) Goodrich of Jackson, MO, his daughter Donna (Goodrich) Premer of Columbus Ohio, son Alan Goodrich of Drummond Island, Michigan and son Robert Goodrich of Williams, Arizona .  He also leaves behind 15 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. 

     Mr. Gerald Goodrich and his 5 brothers all served in the Military during WWII, Gerald having served in the Army/Air corps along with his brother Kenneth while his brothers Fay, Orville, and Clyde served in the Army and his youngest brother Harold in the U.S. Navy.  They all returned home safely to the great joy of his parents.

     Gerald was especially proud of his work as a Fireman on the Alaskan Railroad where he was responsible for keeping the fire blazing on the steam locomotive, a job he started in Fort Wayne Indiana on the Penn Central Railroad.  After his marriage to Darlene on 15 June of 1947, they loaded up his car and drove to Anchorage, buying a homestead in Healy Forks, Alaska. 

      Mr. Goodrich spent most of his working years living in the Columbia City Indiana area where he and Darlene raised their 6 children all of whom graduated from Columbia City Joint High School.  While living in Columbia City he worked in Fort Wayne as a Heavy Equipment Operator. Then in 1975 He and Darlene moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where they both finished their working years before retiring to Drummond Island Michigan in 1987. 

       On Drummond Island he and Darlene where actively involved in the Senior Center and Gerald joined the Lions Club and organization he also participated in at Tri-Lakes, Indiana.  Gerald was involved with the Historical Society of Columbia City acting as its first president.  He also was a Member of the Columbia City Genealogical Society.  He greatly enjoyed learning about his family history, he and Darlene had gone to do genealogical  research in England. 

A few years after Darlene had died Gerald married long-time family friend Gwendolyn of Desloge Missouri.  They made their home there until Gerald required more care than Gwen could provide due to a broken hip.

The family is planning a Memorial Service in the Columbia City area in the near future with internment to follow on Drummond Island where Gerald will be laid to rest next to Darlene. 

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