GOSCH, George

Kingman Daily Miner, Kingman, AZ - Published on March 19, 2014 - George Gosch, 95, passed away peacefully at our home on March 15, 2014. He was born to Christian and Anna Gosch in 1918 in Rock Island, Ill. As a young boy, he and the family moved from Rock Island to Great Falls, Mont., in a covered wagon. Their trip followed the Lincoln Highway, then north through Yellowstone Park. The stay in Great Falls did not last long and the journey back to Illinois took them through Sheridan, Wyo., where an unscheduled stop lasted 40 years. George was drafted in August 1941 and served in the U.S. Army 5th Armored Division, landing him a front row seat for the fight and fall of Germany. George married Mary Emma Elkins in January 1942 and had four sons during the course of their marriage. Life was good after World War II until the National Guard got him a ticket to Korea. After Korea, George resumed work with the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked in the Sheridan post office. Later he transferred to the Railway Postal Office between Sheridan and Alliance, Neb.; another transfer took him to the RPO between Kingman and Albuquerque, N.M. He completed his career with the post office in Kingman after 36 years of service. George and the family moved to Kingman in 1965. Mary, his wife, passed away in 1990 and he remained in Kingman until 1995. He then moved to Flagstaff to be closer to family and remained here until his passing. George was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary; infant son, George Jr.; parents; and three sisters. He is survived by sons, Ralph (Linda) of Buena Vista, Colo., Carl (Gail) of Blythe, Calif., and Tom (Melanie) of Flagstaff; seven grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; two brothers; and one sister. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 21, at Kane Funeral Home in Sheridan.