JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A soldier killed when a bomb hit the Humvee he was driving in Iraq is remembered by family as a man who loved his wife, children and work in the Army.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gottfried, 41, was killed March 9 in the Sunni Triangle area of central Iraq. The Lake Ozark man was about to retire after serving almost 20 years in the Army.
“He loved his war, and he loved his Army,” said sister-in-law Nancy Yakich. “I remember his sense of humor, his wit, his kindness and his honesty.”
Gottfried’s son, Eric, said his father had been kept in Iraq because of a shortage of workers in his military specialty.
“Everyone thought he was invincible,” Eric said. “You don’t know why something like this would happen to someone so good.”
Gottfried was the 553rd American service member to die since the Iraqi conflict started; 554 have died since the United States launched the Iraq war in March. Most of those deaths occurred after President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.
Obit from Salem, IL:
Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried
(July 19, 1961 - March 9, 2004)
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Berean Baptist Church in Laquey, Missouri, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Assembly of God Church in Jefferson City, Missouri, for Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried, 42, of Richland, Missouri. Burial, with military honors will be held on Wednesday at the Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City, Missouri. Visitation will be held one hour prior to both services. The Reverends David Brown and Lowell Perkins will officiate the services.
Gottfried died on Tuesday, March 9, in Tikrit, Iraq, in military service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was born on July 19, 1961, in Wurzburg, Germany, the son of Ryszard and Betty Gottfried. He married Mary Jo Eickelmann on December 5, 1981, in Eldon, Missouri.
He had served for 19 years in the military and had less than a year and he would have completed his service.
Survivors include: his wife; one son, Eric Gottfried and wife Renae of Jefferson City, Missouri; one daughter, Ashley Fleming and husband Ralph of St. Louis, Missouri; his parents of Richland; one sister, Anniela Gottfried of Richland; one brother, John Gottfried and wife Kristi of Nashville, Tennessee; two nieces, Sara and Nancy Gottfried, both of Richland; aunts and uncles, Judy Mulvany, Lionel and Donna Jackson, Richard and Ruth Ford, and Kenneth and Dorothy Ford; and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Laquey High School, Berean Baptist Church, or the First Assembly of God Church. Those wishing to send cards to the parents may do so by sending them to: Richard and Betty Gottfried, 25060 Highway 7, Richland, Missouri 65556.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gottfried, 41, was killed March 9 in the Sunni Triangle area of central Iraq. The Lake Ozark man was about to retire after serving almost 20 years in the Army.
“He loved his war, and he loved his Army,” said sister-in-law Nancy Yakich. “I remember his sense of humor, his wit, his kindness and his honesty.”
Gottfried’s son, Eric, said his father had been kept in Iraq because of a shortage of workers in his military specialty.
“Everyone thought he was invincible,” Eric said. “You don’t know why something like this would happen to someone so good.”
Gottfried was the 553rd American service member to die since the Iraqi conflict started; 554 have died since the United States launched the Iraq war in March. Most of those deaths occurred after President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.
Obit from Salem, IL:
Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried
(July 19, 1961 - March 9, 2004)
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Berean Baptist Church in Laquey, Missouri, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Assembly of God Church in Jefferson City, Missouri, for Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried, 42, of Richland, Missouri. Burial, with military honors will be held on Wednesday at the Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City, Missouri. Visitation will be held one hour prior to both services. The Reverends David Brown and Lowell Perkins will officiate the services.
Gottfried died on Tuesday, March 9, in Tikrit, Iraq, in military service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was born on July 19, 1961, in Wurzburg, Germany, the son of Ryszard and Betty Gottfried. He married Mary Jo Eickelmann on December 5, 1981, in Eldon, Missouri.
He had served for 19 years in the military and had less than a year and he would have completed his service.
Survivors include: his wife; one son, Eric Gottfried and wife Renae of Jefferson City, Missouri; one daughter, Ashley Fleming and husband Ralph of St. Louis, Missouri; his parents of Richland; one sister, Anniela Gottfried of Richland; one brother, John Gottfried and wife Kristi of Nashville, Tennessee; two nieces, Sara and Nancy Gottfried, both of Richland; aunts and uncles, Judy Mulvany, Lionel and Donna Jackson, Richard and Ruth Ford, and Kenneth and Dorothy Ford; and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Laquey High School, Berean Baptist Church, or the First Assembly of God Church. Those wishing to send cards to the parents may do so by sending them to: Richard and Betty Gottfried, 25060 Highway 7, Richland, Missouri 65556.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A soldier killed when a bomb hit the Humvee he was driving in Iraq is remembered by family as a man who loved his wife, children and work in the Army.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gottfried, 41, was killed March 9 in the Sunni Triangle area of central Iraq. The Lake Ozark man was about to retire after serving almost 20 years in the Army.
“He loved his war, and he loved his Army,” said sister-in-law Nancy Yakich. “I remember his sense of humor, his wit, his kindness and his honesty.”
Gottfried’s son, Eric, said his father had been kept in Iraq because of a shortage of workers in his military specialty.
“Everyone thought he was invincible,” Eric said. “You don’t know why something like this would happen to someone so good.”
Gottfried was the 553rd American service member to die since the Iraqi conflict started; 554 have died since the United States launched the Iraq war in March. Most of those deaths occurred after President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.
Obit from Salem, IL:
Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried
(July 19, 1961 - March 9, 2004)
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Berean Baptist Church in Laquey, Missouri, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Assembly of God Church in Jefferson City, Missouri, for Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried, 42, of Richland, Missouri. Burial, with military honors will be held on Wednesday at the Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City, Missouri. Visitation will be held one hour prior to both services. The Reverends David Brown and Lowell Perkins will officiate the services.
Gottfried died on Tuesday, March 9, in Tikrit, Iraq, in military service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was born on July 19, 1961, in Wurzburg, Germany, the son of Ryszard and Betty Gottfried. He married Mary Jo Eickelmann on December 5, 1981, in Eldon, Missouri.
He had served for 19 years in the military and had less than a year and he would have completed his service.
Survivors include: his wife; one son, Eric Gottfried and wife Renae of Jefferson City, Missouri; one daughter, Ashley Fleming and husband Ralph of St. Louis, Missouri; his parents of Richland; one sister, Anniela Gottfried of Richland; one brother, John Gottfried and wife Kristi of Nashville, Tennessee; two nieces, Sara and Nancy Gottfried, both of Richland; aunts and uncles, Judy Mulvany, Lionel and Donna Jackson, Richard and Ruth Ford, and Kenneth and Dorothy Ford; and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Laquey High School, Berean Baptist Church, or the First Assembly of God Church. Those wishing to send cards to the parents may do so by sending them to: Richard and Betty Gottfried, 25060 Highway 7, Richland, Missouri 65556.
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gottfried, 41, was killed March 9 in the Sunni Triangle area of central Iraq. The Lake Ozark man was about to retire after serving almost 20 years in the Army.
“He loved his war, and he loved his Army,” said sister-in-law Nancy Yakich. “I remember his sense of humor, his wit, his kindness and his honesty.”
Gottfried’s son, Eric, said his father had been kept in Iraq because of a shortage of workers in his military specialty.
“Everyone thought he was invincible,” Eric said. “You don’t know why something like this would happen to someone so good.”
Gottfried was the 553rd American service member to die since the Iraqi conflict started; 554 have died since the United States launched the Iraq war in March. Most of those deaths occurred after President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.
Obit from Salem, IL:
Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried
(July 19, 1961 - March 9, 2004)
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Berean Baptist Church in Laquey, Missouri, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Assembly of God Church in Jefferson City, Missouri, for Sergeant First Class Richard Steven Gottfried, 42, of Richland, Missouri. Burial, with military honors will be held on Wednesday at the Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City, Missouri. Visitation will be held one hour prior to both services. The Reverends David Brown and Lowell Perkins will officiate the services.
Gottfried died on Tuesday, March 9, in Tikrit, Iraq, in military service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was born on July 19, 1961, in Wurzburg, Germany, the son of Ryszard and Betty Gottfried. He married Mary Jo Eickelmann on December 5, 1981, in Eldon, Missouri.
He had served for 19 years in the military and had less than a year and he would have completed his service.
Survivors include: his wife; one son, Eric Gottfried and wife Renae of Jefferson City, Missouri; one daughter, Ashley Fleming and husband Ralph of St. Louis, Missouri; his parents of Richland; one sister, Anniela Gottfried of Richland; one brother, John Gottfried and wife Kristi of Nashville, Tennessee; two nieces, Sara and Nancy Gottfried, both of Richland; aunts and uncles, Judy Mulvany, Lionel and Donna Jackson, Richard and Ruth Ford, and Kenneth and Dorothy Ford; and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Laquey High School, Berean Baptist Church, or the First Assembly of God Church. Those wishing to send cards to the parents may do so by sending them to: Richard and Betty Gottfried, 25060 Highway 7, Richland, Missouri 65556.
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