Tenth Generation

86. Gaylinn John "Flea" GOFF was born on 12 June 1924 in Monroe County, WI.^{26,38,42,48,126} (His given name is spelled in the Social Security Death Index as "Gaylinn." He appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴² He died on 15 February 1999 at the age of 74 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^26,126

Gaylinn John "Flea" GOFF and Elinor "Penny" KOLB were married on 14 August 1948 in Kirby, Lincoln Township, Monroe County, WI.^26,48 Elinor "Penny" KOLB, daughter of Alfred C. KOLB and Laura Juliane BIRKHOLZ, was born on 12 August 1926 in Warrens, Lincoln Township, Monroe County, WI.^48,127 She died on 23 February 2012 at the age of 85 in La Crosse, La Crosse County, WI.¹²⁷

Obituary Notes: "Elinor “Penny” L. Goff, 85, of Tomah passed on to eternal life peacefully on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. She was born on Aug. 12, 1926, to Alfred and Laura (Birkholz) Kolb in Warrens. She was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, town of Kirby. Penny attended rural school and graduated from Tomah High School.

On Aug. 14, 1948, she was united in marriage to Gaylinn “Flea” Goff. He preceded her in death Feb. 15, 1999. After graduation Penny worked for the Tomah long-distance telephone company and then at the First Bank of Tomah as head bookkeeper for more than 40 years, retiring in 1983.

She was a faithful and devoted member of St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church and a past member of the Ladies Aid. Penny volunteered her time at the Tomah Hospital Auxiliary gift shop, the Auxiliary ABC store and also for the Monroe County Historical Society.

In her spare time Penny enjoyed reading and gardening. She enjoyed watching Packers football and baseball games. Most important to Penny were her beloved family and friends. She looked forward to and enjoyed her monthly lunch dates with her girlfriends.

For more than 50 years Penny hosted the annual family Thanksgiving dinners. She enjoyed making her delicious dressing which has been a family favorite. She was a loving aunt, great-aunt, sister and friend. She will be sadly missed by those who knew and loved her.

She is survived by many nieces and nephews; great- nieces and great-nephews; three sisters-in-law, Joyce Kolb of Onalaska and Caroline Rediske and Hazel Brohaugh, both of Tomah; two brothers-in-law, Lee (Trudy) Goff of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Jerry (Gerry Ann) Goff of Kenosha. She is further survived by many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband and best friend of over 50 years, Gaylinn; her parents; two brothers, Richard and Eldon Kolb; three sisters-in-law, Donna Kolb, Betty Tessmann and Frances Miller; a brother-in-law, Kenneth Goff; and a niece, Kathy Kolb.

Funeral services will be held Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, town of Kirby. Pastor Phillip M. Enderle will officiate. Burial will be in Warren-Mills Cemetery, Warrens. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Sunday from 4-7 p.m. at the Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, 801 E. Monowau St., Tomah, and at the church on Monday from 10 a.m. until time of the service."