Frank William Goetschel

Frank William Goetschel was born on February 18, 1949, in Joliet, Illinois, to Frank Benjamin, Jr. and Ruth Caroline (Miller) Goetschel. Frank graduated from Lincoln Way High School in New Lenox, Illinois in 1967, and attended junior college for a year and a half.

After driving his own pro stock race car for two years, Frank worked as a mechanic and driver for Gary Purcell and later for John Bays, both of Illinois. Frank moved from Illinois to Crested Butte, Colorado in 1978, where we worked at several jobs, the last one as a security guard at the Amax molybdenum mine at Mount Emmons. In 1982, Frank became a distributor for Mountain Man Nut and Fruit Company of Parker, Colorado in the Gunnison/Montrose area, as well as in several other towns on the Western Slope, including Grand Junction. He and the family moved from Montrose to Helena, Montana in the fall of 1987, where he continued to be a distributor for Mountain Man and to develop sales routes.

Frank married his wife, Stephanie, on September 27, 1981, and son, Benjamin, joined the family in March of 1985, followed by son, Daniel, in January of 1988.

Frank was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, although he had no specific church affiliation. In 2005, he and his wife Stephanie moved from Montana to the mountains of Costa Rica, where they served as missionaries for just under 15 years, working with several local congregations. This was a challenge for Frank at times, since he knew very little Spanish at the beginning, but Stephanie helped him with translation. Frank was greatly loved and “adopted” by the people he served in Costa Rica. He enjoyed deer, elk and pheasant hunting, but most of all, he loved to share his faith and hope in Jesus Christ. He was a member of Promise Keepers, a Christian ministry, for several years.

Frank is survived by his wife, Stephanie (Durfee) Goetschel, of Grand Junction, Colorado; sons, Benjamin, and Daniel Goetschel, both of Great Falls, Montana; his brother, William “Bill” (Carolanne) Goetschel of Nerstrand, Minnesota; nephew, John (Emily) Goetschel of Boyd, Texas; nieces, Katherine Goetschel of Roseville, Minnesota, and Ann (Matt) Meyers of Cannon Falls, Minnesota; a granddaughter, Emilie, of Great Falls, Montana; a brother-in-law, Kent Durfee of Grand Junction; sisters-in-law, Denise (Aubrey) Williams of Austin, Texas, Mari Frame of Grand Junction, and Judy (Randy) Saunders of Dexter, Maine; as well as many friends in the Grand Junction area and a large adoptive family in Costa Rica.

Frank died of cancer at Hope West Hospice in Grand Junction on May 14.