Husband and wife killed in Aug. 30 crash remembered as loving couple

[Guest Nicole]

YORKVILLE — Even after almost seven decades together, the love between Evelyn and Earl Goebel was still evident to their fellow churchgoers.

“Whenever we said a prayer, they would always hold hands. Even after 68 years of marriage,” said Richard Perkins, an assistant fire chief for the Town of Paris and elder at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 14509 Braun Rd.

“Some people don’t do that. But they always held hands during the prayers. It was kind of touching.”

Earl Goebel died over the holiday weekend following an Aug. 30 car crash that also claimed the life of Evelyn, authorities said in a press release Tuesday morning.

The Goebels, of Union Grove, were heading south in the 1500 block of South Sylvania Avenue when a northbound vehicle attempted to turn left and collided with the Goebels’ vehicle, according to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.

Evelyn, 87, was reportedly taken to Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints Hospital, where she died from her injuries on the day of the crash.

Earl, 85, was taken to Wheaton Franciscan and later transferred to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. He died Friday.

Earl developed complications after surgery and, according to his wishes, the ventilator was removed, Perkins said.

“He went peacefully,” Perkins added.

The Goebels were reportedly returning from getting ice cream at the time of the crash, which Perkins happened to come upon.

“I saw the car accident, so we stopped, and I had no idea it was them until I got closer,” he said.

“Then my heart was in my throat.”

Loving couple

The Union Grove couple, who did not have children, lived in the area for about 38 to 40 years after moving from St. Louis, Perkins said.

The Goebels were a loving couple who always found good in everybody, with never a bad word to say about someone, he said.

Evelyn liked to write notes and poems. After breaking her hip a few years ago, she wrote notes to the hospital’s kitchen staff, thanking them for the food, Perkins said.

Typical of Evelyn, she became close to one of the nurses who took care of her.

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