Emery L. Goodenberger

Emery L. Goodenberger, 83, of Winterset and formerly of Panora died Saturday, September 22, 2012 at West Bridge Care Center in Winterset. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, September 26th at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset, where Pastor John Shaull will officiate. A visitation will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 25th at Ochiltree’s; where the family will be present to receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be directed to a fund established in Emery’s name. Emery Lee Goodenberger was born October 11, 1928 in Clarion, Iowa to Austin Harold and Eva Eloise (Butler) Goodenberger. He attended grade school in Hampton until 9th grade when his mother died and he and his father moved to Belgrade, Montana where he graduated from high school. He later came back to Iowa to attend Drake Law School where he graduated in 1953. His marriage to Marian Louise Henn took place at the First Methodist Church in Des Moines on September 3, 1950 and the wedding was officiated by Marian’s father, Rev. W. C. Henn and grandfather, Rev. Roy Talley. To this union six children were born. After graduating from law school, Emery joined law practice with Jno. N. Hartley in Winterset and in 1954 he started his own practice in Winterset. He was elected as Madison County Attorney and served three terms. In December of 1964 he went to work in Des Moines for the Estate and Gift Tax Division of the United States Treasury Department until he retired in 1988. Following retirement, Emery and Marian made their home at Lake Panorama near Panora until June of 2006 then they moved back to Winterset. While living at Lake Panorama, Emery worked with the Hammans Brothers Country Realty where he sold real estate for six years. Emery was a member of the Panora Brethren Church and served on the Guthrie County REC Board. He had been a Lion, enjoyed Tuesday lunch at P.J.’s with the “Romeo’s”, playing in a cribbage group in Guthrie Center on Wednesdays and many other card groups, golf and HALO. After moving back to Winterset, Emery continued to enjoy card playing and being a member of the Three Coin Club at Montross’. All this said; nothing was more precious to him than family. Emery was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, who loved nothing more than being with his family. Survivors include his four daughters, Marcia Bankus (Dale), Rhonda Wagoner (Jeff), Sondra Smith (Dale), Pamela Anderson; two sons, Perry Goodenberger (Terri), Marty Goodenberger (Stacy); fifteen grandchildren Julie, Bob, Sean, Hillary, Jessie, Beccy, Matthew, Justin, Kristin, Peter, Jordan, Adam, Emily, Ethan, and Landon; and nine great grandchildren, Lexi, Gavin, Michael, Abby, Natalie, Maggie, Owen, Ellie, and Tripp. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Millie Goodenberger; and two brothers-in-law, Roger Corbin (Jan) and Bob Sandbo (Pat). He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Marian of 56 years who died April 20, 2007; two grandchildren, Michael Siebels Jr. and Ashton Marie Goodenberger; his three siblings, Earl Goodenberger, Betty Corbin and Lois Sandbo.