NEIGHBOR AWARD … 85 years of Living and Farming in one place, Stryker, Ohio, certainly makes Darrell Goebel worthy of the plaque he is holding (stating that he is the 2018 Stryker Village Good Neighbor of the year).
(Story originally appeared October 3rd, 2018)
By: Rebecca Miller
Rural Stryker resident, Darrell Goebel, was given the Stryker Good Neighbor Award on August 25, 2018. Goebel was born in Montpelier in 1933, but has spent his whole life in Stryker as his parents, Leo and Verle (Cook) Goebel, chose to relocate when he was only a few months old.
He put down deep roots there and is getting to watch his two children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren, do the same.
Goebel and his wife of almost 55 years, Jeanette (Nafziger) Goebel, became friends when they were in the 4th grade together at Stryker Local Schools. She was born to Waldo and Florence (Johnson) Nafziger, of Stryker and grew up on the farm on the corner of 23.50 and F.
While she was in 6th grade her family moved to E.50, but for both Darrell and Jeanette, County Road 23.50, Stryker, Ohio has almost always been home!
They were married in November 1953, after graduating together from Stryker High School, in the Spring of 1952. They rented a farm on 23.50 and while there, their children Rusty and Jody (Goebel) Freeman were born.
That farm remained home for the whole family until in 1968, they purchased a farm about a mile south, where they still live. Their son, Rusty, with his wife Sue, purchased the farm where he and his sister spent their childhood.
In 1955, Goebel was drafted into the Army, and did his Basic Training at Fort Carson, in Colorado where, he says, “It was very cold! Then I went on for advanced training in Fort Hood, Texas, where it was very hot!” Following training he was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a tank driver. He and Jeanette lived there till he completed his two years.
“When it came time to be sent, they were not sending married men overseas, so I didn’t get sent to Korea,” Goebel explained. After he got out, in 1957, he spent two years in Active Reserves and two years in inactive.
During that time he went to Bryan for meetings every week and once a year to a reserve training out of state. Goebel, who had two sisters, Ettey (Goebel) Wieland and Normagene (Goebel) Andres, grew up farming with his dad and has chosen to remain a farmer to this day.
Even at 85, he is still very active, helping his son and grandson, Lucas Goebel often, with things like unloading a truckload of cement blocks with his backhoe. He is tall and lean and remains happily busy despite health issues that come with time.
One health issue requires regular care, but he doesn’t complain or let that stop him from living fully and enjoying every moment with his family and community. His viewpoint is, “You gotta keepa goin’ or you can’t keep goin’.”
Besides having farming as his full time career, Goebel has also held some part time jobs over the years. He remembers how straight out of High School he got a job with Ohio Art as a stock boy for a group of working women. “I only stayed there for a short time because I realized I had to be outside!” he said with a big smile.
He then held a job with Johnson Electric for seven years and for 38 years he worked part time for Yoder and Fry, parking machines and working on them. Jeanette spent two years full time in the Stryker Farmer’s Exchange office and then part time for many years after that. Both of them have been very involved in the community as well as the farming community, participating in a number of ways.
Goebel was part of a group who built the much needed Baseball Dugouts and Concession Stand and helped with roofing when the Stryker Library was built. He defers to others as spearheading activities, but was always happy to be involved in the community as needed through the years.
He and Jeanette have served at the Williams County Pork Producers fair booth. They have donated money to many worthy causes including High School Sports programs, Friends of Panther Baseball, The Loft, Summer Rec Program, the Night before School meal that benefits the Library and D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).
He spoke highly of D.A.R.E., saying it is “one of the better programs we have in the county, and so when the commissioners cut the money sometimes, we helped out.”
Member of Stryker Farmers Exchange Board for 24 years, as President for at least four or five years, involved member of First Lutheran Church and past Chairman of the Stryker Farmer’s Exchange Board are other positions of leadership in which Darrell Goebel has spent his time.
They love to watch basketball and have hardly missed any games in the last 50 years, also attending state tournaments in Columbus for 30 years. Goebel shared how people have asked them why they go to the games when all their children and grandchildren who played, have grown up and graduated. “We just love to watch the kids play. I so enjoy watching a kid improve from their freshman year to their senior year!” Goebel said.
Connie Grieser, who nominated Goebel for the Village of Stryker Good Neighbor of the Year Award, said it this way, “Darrell has made a large impact on the community of Stryker through his donations of time, labor and money to the above noted projects. He is a faithful supporter of his church, community and school events.”
“Stryker has been a good place to raise our kids and I am grateful that we were raised here and not in the city. We have problems of course but who doesn’t? Living in Stryker has been great,” Goebel stated, with contentment in his voice.
Congratulations from The Village Reporter, Mr. Goebel, on being recognized for all you have done in the community of Stryker!
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
