Verlin Goering

A Memorial Service for Verlin Goering, age 86, of Jackson will be held on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 3:00pm at the United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Visitation will take place on Sunday, July 26, 2026, from 3:00-5:00pm at the Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake.

Obituaries are interesting. How do you find the right combination of words to summarize 86 years of life?

Verlin Dean Goering was born on a summer day in July 1940. By the time he entered the world his parents had been married ten years. It’s safe to say that when he arrived, everything changed in their world.

Three years later, his sister, Sonia, arrived. To say he was a fierce protector of her would be an understatement. They shared a close relationship and were always there for one another, no matter what.

Dad spent his childhood running free on the farm. Farming was in his blood. From his earliest days, he was beside his dad, watching and learning. He learned how to grow crops, raise animals, anticipate the weather, and understand the intricate business of farming.

He also learned the importance of family. Dad came from a large family filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins he loved dearly. From a young age, he understood that family helps define who you are. During those years, he also met his best friend, Chuck. That friendship helped shape the person Dad became, and Chuck was there through every phase of his life.

In 1958, Dad graduated from Lakefield High School in Minnesota and joined the National Guard. Life changed for a farm kid from Minnesota when he headed to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and then to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for additional training.

He talked about those days often. One story, in particular, captured so much of who he was. During a training mission, his sergeant was suddenly called away, leaving Dad and his team to complete what seemed like an impossible training maneuver. It required strategy, the ability to anticipate what was ahead, and a calm leader. They entered the day as underdogs and finished in first place.

That story was so quintessentially Dad. Give him a challenge, and he would fight with everything he had to prove he could do it. His leadership earned him the honor of Soldier of the Month. He spoke about it not because of the recognition, but because it showed what can happen when people work together. He believed strongly in that throughout his life.

Life changed once again on July 16, 1961, when Dad and his friends decided to go to the Fox Lake Ballroom. On his 21st birthday, he met the girl he would always describe as the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She was shy. He was smitten. They met that night and were never truly apart again.

If you knew Dad for even five minutes, you knew how much he loved his Soneva. He married the love of his life on March 9, 1963.

Together, they moved to the farm and began building their life. They were in their early twenties, with their whole future ahead of them. Like many young couples, they faced their own unique struggles, but they always faced them as a team.

Life changed again when Mark arrived, followed by Linda, with Heather rounding out the kid rotation.

We were blessed with the very best parents and a childhood filled with so much laughter. But the greatest gift Dad ever gave us was the way he loved our mom.

Together, they taught us the meaning of family, hard work, and laughter. They also taught us that we are put on this earth to see people, to really see them. To learn their stories. To understand that people are not defined by their mistakes, but by the person within them. Dad called that having “a good visit.”

Dad was a man of strong opinions, and he was never afraid to share them. But beneath those opinions was a man who cared deeply, listened closely, and genuinely wanted to understand people.

Life in the Goering house was happy. Mark became a fourth-generation farmer, working alongside both Dad and Grandpa. It has been an incredible honor to be surrounded by the legacy the three of them built. Mark is a reflection of their character, their commitment, and their love for the land. He was equally supportive of his girls as we went out into the world to chase our dreams. It was never a question of whether we would continue our education, but where. We always knew Dad believed in us, and that belief changed everything.

Dad never chased possessions. He never chased status. What mattered most to him was loving his family—and we felt every ounce of that love.

Dad was happiest when he was surrounded by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was also eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first great-great-grandchild.

Our lives changed forever on July 21, 2026, when Dad passed peacefully at home. We are grateful he was able to be there because it was exactly where he wanted to be. He was with the person he loved more than anything in this world, our mom.

Dad built a beautiful life—not because of what he accumulated, but because of how deeply he loved, how hard he worked, and how fully he showed up for the people around him.

We love you so much, Dad. Thank you for being exactly who you were.

Verlin is survived by his wife of 63 years, Soneva Goering; his children, Mark (Julie) Goering, Linda (Bruce) Freeman, and Heather (Scott) Wood; his grandchildren, Sherri (Chad) Jones, Tammy (Travis) Fredericksen, Jim (Danni) Bockman, Soren Czarnecki-Freeman, Noah Czarnecki-Freeman, and Sydney Wood and seven great-grandchildren; his sister, Sonia (John) Orluske; his sisters-in-law, Beryl (Harry) Dougherty and Joyce (Allen) Anderson; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Syneva Goering and, his brother-in-law, Mike Carey.