Neal Eugene Goodell

September 13, 1932 - March 20, 2007

Obituary, Neal E. Goodell September 13, 1932 - March 20, 2007 Neal E. Goodell, 74, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 20, 2007. Services will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, March 26, 2007 at Monmouth Evangelical Church, Monmouth, Oregon. Burial will take place at Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Oregon. There will be no graveside services. He is survived by his wife Madelyn, of Independence, Oregon, his son Dale, of Independence, his brother Chester, of Meridian, Idaho, and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by both parents, four brothers and three sisters. Neal Eugene Goodell was born September 13, 1932 on a farm southwest of Haigler, Nebraska, the eighth of nine children, to Leverett Elzy Goodell and Lillian Ethel Foltz Goodell. In February 1938 the family moved to Ontario, Oregon and purchased sagebrush land which was part of the Owyhee Irrigation Project. He graduated from Ontario High School in May 1950. He entered the U.S. Navy on March 13, 1951 and was honorably discharged on March 8, 1955. He completed basic boot camp in San Diego, California and was transferred to Tongue Point, Astoria, Oregon. From August 1953 to March 1955 he served aboard the U.S.S. Ute Auxiliary Tug Fleet, Sea Going Tug, ATF-76, based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He made two trips to Japan and the Korean waters. On one of these trips, he went to Indo-China later known as Vietnam. He also traveled to most of the Pacific islands. After his discharge, he worked briefly for Peterson's Furniture in Ontario, Oregon. He took over the family farm near Ontario in February 1956 and farmed there until October 1970. He married Madelyn Person on February 25, 1961. Dale, their only child, was born November 29, 1964. In 1971 he, Madelyn and Dale moved to Independence, Oregon, where he farmed until 1998. He worked part-time for Lyon and Sons Farm, Independence, from 1984 to1990, and for MacDonald Industrial and Farm Supply in Albany, Oregon from 1990 to 1998. He retired in 1998. He was an active member of Monmouth Evangelical Church in Monmouth, Oregon. He enjoyed gardening, deep-sea fishing and traveling. Among his highest priorities were his immediate family and spending time with relatives. He especially enjoyed his nephews and nieces, as well as attending family reunions. Contributions may be made to either the Monmouth Evangelical Church Growth Fund or the Humane Society of the Willamette Valley. Arrangements Entrusted to Farnstrom Mortuary, Independence