George Bernard Gottemoeller
George Bernard Gottemoeller, beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend, died on February 25, 2017 on his farm in New Haven, MO. He is celebrated by his wife of 38 years Madeline (Mooney), children Adrian McPherson of Mexico, MO, Sarah Gottemoeller and husband Yoany Lopez of St. Louis, Adam Gottemoeller and wife Heather of Mt. Ayr, IA, and Eileen Mary Gottemoeller and husband Luke Torjesen of Charleston, SC. His grandchildren Trent, Lucia, Spencer, David, Joseph, Marbella, and Henry loved to sit on his lap, read books with him, and get scruffle-duffled. George’s parents Ben and Edna (Gaier) Gottmoeller preceded him in death. His siblings Fred and wife Patricia Gottemoeller, Larry and wife Christine Gottemoeller, Mary Ellen Gottemoeller, Rose Gottemoeller and husband Raymond Arnaudo, Lori Raphael and husband Mike Hemmer, and Marlene and husband Sean McCarthy, and numerous nieces and nephews remember his love of music, sense of humor, ridiculous knowledge of trivia, and quiet presence at family events.
George was born March 17, 1945 in Columbus, OH, where he attended St. Charles Preparatory High School and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1967. After attending Reserve Officer Training in Rhode Island, he was stationed in San Diego and served as a U.S. Naval Officer with the Beach Jumper Unit in Vietnam. After leaving the service, he traveled through Europe on a motorcycle, lived six months in Sweden on a farm, and then filled his passport with stamps from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
George and Madeline were residents of New Haven for 38 years after finding a farm for sale shortly after they were married. He was active at Senate Grove United Methodist Church, Riverfront Cultural Society, and American Legion, and loved coaching his children’s Little League baseball teams in the summers. He was an artist who loved woodworking and making furniture, and his work was featured at the St. Louis Zoo, Fox Theater, in Traditional Home magazine, and Best of Missouri Hands.
He was a conservationist in every sense of the word. He preferred to fix than to buy new. He loved growing things and researched how to best grow Missouri native plants. He was best known for his ability to build almost anything using traditional tools and methods, even purchasing a sawmill to use locally harvested wood. He taught his children to love nature and Cardinals baseball, bake bread, take the backroads, appreciate the rambunctious spirit of kids, and use power tools. A voracious reader, George instilled a love of books and will be remembered by his family sitting in the sun in his denim-on-denim, reading his book-of-the-day, with sharp cheddar and a pb+j, or walking with his wife in the evenings through fields of trees he planted for future generations to enjoy.
A public celebration of George’s life will be held Saturday April 15, 2017, at Röbller Winery in New Haven, MO from 2-6pm. Gifts in his honor can be made to New Haven Youth League Baseball at PO Box 185, New Haven, MO 63068 or Immanuel Senate Grove UMC Cemetery Fund at PO Box 203, New Haven, MO 63068.
What a lovely tribute, Madeline. George was a kind soul. Prayers for you and your family. Kathleen
George
I just learned of the untimely death of George Gottemoeller. I felt a close, kindred relationship with George and I am deeply saddened. George and I had a “magnetic” relationship. In any social situation we would be drawn to each other and start a conversation that would almost always last the night. Until now I took that for granted…
I suppose what drew us together was our similar backgrounds: we were the same age, we both dealt with the draft and the Vietnam war, we were close to being “hippies” – traveling the country/world in the sixties, we both loved working with wood, living in the country being independent and not spending a dime we didn’t have to. We were both married to women who retired from the same school district. Most of all George and I were totally devoted to our families – they always came first.
Soft spoken, unbelievably talented, honest and loyal – George Gottemoeller was one of the finest human beings I have ever known. Goodbye my friend, return anytime, to share the morning air…
Prayers, Love and Condolences.
Madeline,
What a lovely tribute to a man who lived life to its fullest. I’m sorry your time together on earth was shorter than you planned, but I know God will guide you as you live from here, forward.
My sincerest condolences,
Carol
It sounds like the world was a better place with this man in it. What a loss for all of us. So sad for you, Madeline. I hope that the love from all of your friends and family will help you through this grief.
Nice tribute to a kind gentile man. Sure glad we came to visit you in Oct. And remembered our younger days when you would come out to our home farm for a visit maybe we had something to do with his love of nature and the out doors .Condolence to your whole family hope to make it to the service Dale & Ag Goettemoeller
Dear Madeline, So sorry to hear about George. He was quite a person. I wish I had the chance to meet him. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time. Will be keeping you in my prayers.
Diana
We enjoyed our friendship with George, his overall pleasantness, his creativity, his intelligence and his commitment to the good things of life, like that marvelous family of his. We know he considered himself to be one the luckiest men alive for no other reason that he shared it with Madeline
So sorry for your loss. Keeping you all in our prayers.
Herb and Wilma Cozort
I will miss chatting with George at your family affairs. He was truly a gentle man.
So sorry you lost your husband. I hope that the good Lord looks over you and your family.
Dear Madeline and family, I was so saddened by the news of George’s untimely death. When I saw his picture on the obituary I thought I would recognize him as a relative anywhere. He looks so much like my father and uncles and my male cousins. I am sure he shared all their characteristics of family love and goodness. You and your family will be in my prayers.
Doris
I miss you Grandpa, I have his old war medals and i guess i will learn how he got them later. I love you, goodbye. – your oldest grandson with the name Gottemoeller, Spencer.