Hortulana Goering

Hortulana Mary Kracher was born on April 5, 1901 in Farming, Stearns County, Minnesota, the daughter of Michael and Mary (Klostermann) Kracher. Hortulana was an only child and her mother died when she was only two and one-half years old. Hortulana lived with her grandparents until she was seven years old and her father married Eleanor Wambach. She spent her early years in Mahnomen Mn. where she attended school at the White Earth Reservation. Later her family moved to Cold Spring, MN where she met Jacob Goering. About that time Hortulana attended sewing school in Richmond Mn. Jacob and Hortulana were married September 28, 1920 in Marshfield, WI. The couple first lived in Quamba before settling in Brandon, Minnesota in 1923. Hortulana was an active member of St. Ann?s Catholic Church and belonged to the Christian Mothers and St. Jude?s Mission Circle. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, flowers, playing cards, music, bird watching and had many pets over the years. Hortulana and Jacob loved to travel by train and used their rail pass whenever they could. Traveling to Alaska and a cruise on Lake Winnipeg were favorites. They also traveled to Mexico and Europe in their later years. Hortulana was a warm, kind and loving person. She was very appreciative of every kindness shown to her. She included everyone?s needs in her prayers daily. None of her visitors could ever leave Knute Nelson Home without receiving Hortulana?s special blessing, ? May St. Christopher go with you and may your Holy Guardian Angel watch over you wherever you go?. Hortulana passed away on May 18, 2009 at the age of 108.She had been living at Knute Nelson Memorial Home since 1996, where she had been receiving excellent care. She was preceded in death by her husband Jacob in 1980, her daughter Charlotte, an infant son Cloud, daughter-in law Collette Goering, son-in laws Roman Lambertz and Albert Brixius and four grandchildren. She is survived by her sons, James (Virginia) Goering, David (Shirley) Goering, Charles (Marita) Goering, Edward (Kay) Goering and Daniel (Lorilei) Goering; daughters, Johanna Lambertz, Cyrilla Brixius, Hortulana (Arthur) Van Sloun, Christella (Dennis) Korkowski, and Rebecca (Wayne) Chouanard; sixty-seven grandchildren, one hundred and twenty-two great-grandchildren, twenty-nine great-great-grandchildren and two babies on the way. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, May 21, 2009 at St. Ann?s Church in Brandon, MN. The celebrant will be Most Reverend Samuel J. Aguila, Bishop of Fargo Diocese. Mass will be concelebrated by Monsignor Joseph Goering, Reverend Father Michael VanSloun Reverend Father Leroy Schierl and Reverend Father Eugene Lemm. Evelyn Lanners, Bill Cavanagh and members of Hortulana?s family will provide music. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Arrangements were with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria.