Rodney Goebel

Rodney Goebel, 88, died on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 PM on Friday, April 10 at St. Paul’s-on-the-Plains Episcopal Church at 1510 Avenue X, Lubbock, followed by a reception and celebration in his honor in the parish hall. Officiants will be the Rev. James Haney, V and cousin, the Rev. Charles Sumners, III. Inurnment will be in the St. Paul’s columbarium. Mr. Goebel was born in Lubbock on July 16, 1926 to Felix and Dora (Varnhagen) Goebel. He grew up on a farm in north Lubbock County and graduated from New Deal High School in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was discharged in September 1946. He graduated from Texas Technological College in 1951 with a degree in Commercial Art. He was employed by the Lubbock Sunday Sun newspaper from 1952 to 1954. He joined Furr’s, Inc. in 1954 and worked in the Furr’s Advertising Department for 37 years until retirement in 1991. He managed the print avertising and edited the company magazine, The Furr View, for 28 years. He was a long-time member of the Lubbock Advertising Federation. As a photographer, he frequently participated in area photo exhibitions, winning several awards. Rodney Goebel and Carolyn Bledsoe were married on August 2, 1953 at St. Paul’s-on-the-Plains Episcopal Church, Lubbock. Rodney and Carolyn moved to St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church when St. Paul’s established that mission church in 1955. While at St. Christopher’s, Mr. Goebel faithfully served on the Vestry, the board of trustees for St. Christopher’s School, which became All Saints School during his term, and was a frequent delegate to councils of the Diocese of Northwest Texas. Rodney and Carolyn returned to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in 1979, where he served on the Vestry, as an usher, and as the parish’s photographer and historian. Carolyn, who died February 19, 2015, taught social studies in the Lubbock Independent School District, retiring in 1993 as the district’s Social Studies Coordinator. For many years Rodney served beside Carolyn in the local Staked Plains Council for the Social Studies and the Texas Council for the Social Studies. During this time he was the photographer for Council’s magazine, The Social Studies Texan. Upon retirement, Rodney self-published a number of limited edition books. Subject matter included early farm life, family stories, genealogy, memories of special events, church matters and more. He is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Betsy and Robert Jones of Lubbock and Marianna and Rufus Duncan, Jr. of Lufkin; grandchildren Scott Duncan, Callie Jones, and Ben Jones. Other survivors include two sisters, Felicia Elliott of Houston and Marie Collins of El Paso and one brother and sister-in-law, Ben Frank (Spikey) and Rebecca Goebel of Abernathy, as well as many nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s-on-the-Plains Episcopal Church,1510 Avenue X, Lubbock, TX 79401, All Saints Episcopal School, 3222 103rd St. Lubbock, TX 79423, or to a charity of your choice

Rodney Goebel

April 16, 1926 - April 5, 2015