Post #10 Dorcas (Doris) Lourinda Goss

Last week I talked about the Seidel family and that we are sons and daughters of the American Revolution through this family. With the Goss's we are eligible to belong to the National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, because of Capt. John Goss, our Founder ancestor and his ggrandson, Thomas Goss, Sr. our Patriot Ancestor, who served during the period of the American Revolution in the colony of North Carolina. This information comes from a relative by the name of Billie Jean Horner Hunter. She died 2009, but I have been blessed to visit with her and obtain some of her many books on our family. The book G.O.S.S. Great Old Soldiers Sons, can be found in many libraries. I have a copy of  Volume 1 and Vol 3 of this book.

So this week, I would like to introduce the Goss Family---see picture at the bottom of this post:

1. Dorcus Lourinda Goss  1887-1931 wife of  Elbert Lyle Koontz
2. John Lewis Goss   1855 - 1927
3. Benjamin Franklin Goss  1929 - 1894
4. Nathaniel Harbin Goss  1805 - 1888
5. Benjamin Goss    1777 - 1857
6. Thomas Goss over 45 in 1790 - about 1833
7. Thomas Goss, Sr   abt 1730 - 1816
8. William Goss
9. William Goss, 1
10 John Goss, capt. 1628 VA
11. William Goss

Dorcas Lourinda Goss:

According to Aunt Marjorie Koontz Gentis, our Grandmother did not like the name Dorcas so went by the name of Doris. Doris Lourinda Goss is the mother of my dad Paul Lorn as well as Gerald Lewis, Bonnie Lois, Baby (possibly Leiala), Marjorie Lorraine, Herbert Lyle, Bryce Lenard, William Loyd, Raymond Leland and Charles LeRoy Koontz. Grandpa Elbert Lyle Koontz and Doris were married 5 Jun 1907 in Silverton, Colorado.

Our grandmother died in 1931, 14 years before I was born. But, even so, I have come to know her.  It was at her urging that I started doing this work. I learned from her about the importance of our family being together eternally. I can tell you that her and Grandfather are together again. I have learned from her the importance of forgiveness and I have felt her love. I have written of these experiences in my private writings as they are sacred.

I have different stories written about this family. Some sent to me by our grandmother's sisters children that I will share later. Today, I will start by sharing the story that I wrote about our grandmother after interviewing her children and from other information that I had gathered.

"Dorcas Lourinda Goss was born June 28, 1887 in Myrtle, Boone County, Arkansas. She was the seventh child of John Lewis Goss and Julia Ann Taylor. Dorcas had 6 sisters; Darthula, Charity, Ida, Etta, Alice and Stella; 5 bothers; baby Goss, Thomas, Miles (Frank), Walter and William.  John was a farmer and ran a store in Myrtle. Julia was a postmistress.

Grandpa Goss (John Lewis) was a very strict person and when Grandma Julia Ann died she left the little family pretty much on their own. The oldest daughter, Darthula, became responsible one in the house and with the children. Charity the next oldest was the one grandpa always had take care of outside chores and even went into the fields to work with him. finally with so much turmoil in the little family, Grandpa "Goss remarried Minnie Ann Trantham. The older girls were not finding it easy to work with Grandma Minnie and their strict father. Grandpa Goss definitively didn't want them to leave the home but felt they should stay there and work either in the fields or in the store. The girls determined to get away from home rule, married quite young. then the younger girls would leave home much against their father's  wishes, and go live with the older sister until they found a husband" (from Verla Esther McDavitt--Charity's daughter) Verla went on to say "I remember mama getting letters regularly from her sisters, especially Aunt Dorcas and Aunt Etta after they went to California. They would tell of their families and send pictures----aunt Dorcus had married Lyle Koontz and they were proud of their family which numbered several children as I remember. They must have enjoyed horses since the one picture I remember best was of Aunt Dorcas and her husband riding on their horses."

Dorcas Goss and Elbert Lyle Koontz were married 5 June 1907 in Silverton, San Juan county, Colorado. They became parents of 7 boys; Gerald, Herb, Bryce, Loyd, Paul, Ray and Chuck: and 3 girls; Lois, baby (Leiala), and Marjorie. The baby girl died at age 12 days of Spina Bifida. I was told that grandpa started making her coffin right after she was born---had to of been a hard time.

Doris, as Dorcas preferred to be called, is remembered lovingly by her children. She was "quiet, easygoing, never hollered", "never complained". Marjorie said she was interested in everything---"reading, radio and teaching her children." All the children, Paul, Marjorie, Ray, Loyd and Herb (Chuck was only 2 1/2 when his mom died) remembered her as being very industrious "baking bread, fixing beans, canning fruit, making sour kraut, canning beef and chicken; hanging up clothes (this is Ray's memory of her), cooking, doing dishes, sewing "she made all our clothes, including coveralls", cleaning, washing clothes, always working in the garden." Herb sums his mom up "one busy woman". Marjorie remembers when "dad was home he helped out".

"Discipline was handled by dad." Paul and Herb remember their mom saying, "I'll tell your dad," they said "that was enough" to make them mind. Loyd said "mom was boss in the house and outside and dad took care of main discipline." Marjorie said, "mom's authority was respected. It never occurred to not." Herb said, "she never hit us."

All the children remember the relationship between their parents being very special. Paul said."they never argued, never heard a harsh word." That was why it was difficult for Paul to stay in the home as he grew older, so he left home at a young age after his dad had remarried, the peace he knew had left the home. Herb and Loyd said their parents "worshiped each other, never quarreled."

Marjorie said her mom wasn't affectionate as far as hugs and kisses but the family "knew she would do anything for you." Herb remembers "she knew just what to say to make you want to do things for her." Remembering if he didn't want to go to school she knew what to say to encourage him. Paul remembers a Christmas day when his mom was sitting by the stove in the living room. He ran to her and showed her what he got----"she was loving, I just knew that she didn't have the strength to pick me up. She patted me on the head and said how nice it was....it made me feel good."

Christmas times, were a positive memory by all the children. Even though they were "very poor". Herb said, "Christmas was great, we always got something." Loyd remembers one Christmas when he was to build the fire "as we took turns", that morning he "received some wood shavings in his stocking." He expressed this as a good thing as it made fire building that day easier for him. Paul said they usually would each get an orange, "this was a real treat." He remembered a Christmas at Waits Lake in North Spokane, around 1927/28. They lived back in the woods, about 6 or 7 miles from the nearest town, and 1 to 1 1/2 miles to nearest neighbor, an elderly couple name Wyatts.  On this particular Christmas eve the snow was 2 to 3 feet deep. The children didn't expect a Christmas under these conditions--weather and little money. Paul was excited the next morning as he found he had two gifts. He still remembers the "monkey on a stick", the other gift he can't remember, "probably a sack of nuts and an an orange." He wasn't quite sure where these gifts came from. He had learned, that his dad had walked to Wyatts, that snowy Christmas Eve and carried the stuff back in a gunny sack. He thought the Wyatts, his mom and sisters may of made or purchased the gifts. It also may be the Christmas Marjorie remembers. She was later told "the gifts were mailed to them from Grandma and Grandpa Koontz who lived in California."

Doris was a "God loving person" according to Herb. Marjorie says her mom "read the Bible to us."  "She went to Sunday School when she could."----but they lived too far from a church for her to attend regularly. Loyd and Paul remember her "being religious in her way, in her daily life and in her actions. No cussing, swearing, would not do anything against God." Paul said, "she was not preachy nor push any religion."

Marjorie remembers her mom as a "nice looking lady. 5 ft. 5 1/2 inches tall, most of her life was slim. She wore dresses. Aprons most of the time. Her hair was quite black and long." She had her hair cut off about 1928. She was very happy to have it cut. She wore it straight when short.  Her hair wouldn't take a permanent." Each of Doris's sons thought she was "beautiful", "nice-looking". Loyd and Paul thought she looked like their sister, Lois.

Herb remembers "until she got sick she was a nice-looking lady." Marjorie remembers her mom getting pneumonia in February of he year she died. Doris "never seemed to recover".  Herb recalls his mom's legs "being very swollen." "The treatment at the time was to put "white powder in hot water and mom would soak in it. My dad would put her into the water. Occasionally Lois and Marjorie would help." Loyd remembers visiting his mom at the hospital before she died. "We were all at the hospital around mom's bed, as she was expected to die. I remember that she just sat up on the edge of the bed. Her mind was clear, she knew all of us. She wanted to go home. I was excited as I thought she was better. 4 hours later she died." Dorcas (Doris) Lourinda Goss Koontz died at age 44 on October 8, 1931 at Chewelah, Stevens County, Washington. Death certificate list myocarditis influenza with pneumonia and nephritis. He husband (Elbert) Lyle was only 45, Gerald 22, Lois 19 and had married April of that year, Marjorie 14, Herb 12, Bryce 11, Loyd 9, Paul 7, Ray 5 and Chuck 2.

Lyle died June 15, 1964 and is now with his beloved wife, Doris.

Written by Patricia Koontz Coates, Paul's daughter, Doris's granddaughter