Luther C. Goldberg was born on August 29, 1902 to Swen Lars and Maria Albertina (Kampe) Goldberg in Concord, Nebraska where his parents had immigrated from Sweden to start a new life in the states. He was the middle of two brothers and six sisters who have preceded him death, Clara, Reuben, Olga, Ellen, Pearl, Esther, Teckla and Wymore.
Luther helped on the farm at a young age and only went through the eight grade. However, as some young farmers did in those days, he took a few courses at Luther Academy in Wahoo, Nebraska during the winter months. He worked as a hired hand for farmers and eventually started farming on his own.
He met his wife, Agnes Samuelson, who taught school near Essex, Iowa, through a relative and they were married and lived in Nebraska a few years then came to the Essex area to farm in 1930. Luther raised registered Spotted Poland China hogs and Shorthorn cattle besides farming his 160 acres.
Both Luther and Agnes were active members of the Fremont Lutheran Church at Nyman and the Farm Bureau. He served on the board of the Farmers Telephone Co. in Essex for many years.
After retiring from farming at the age of 65, they moved to a new home in Essex and Luther worked part-time at Johnson Brothers Mill until the age of 85. Agnes passed away in 1986. For twenty years Luther enjoyed four day-a-week visits to the Shenandoah and Essex Senior Centers to play cards, dominoes, etc. The past four years he was a resident of the Garden View Care Center in Shenandoah, where he passed away on on July 15, 2009.
Survivors include his daughter, Carol Ann Dahl and her husband Cliff of Rockford, IL; son, Verdell Goldberg and his wife Lola of Omaha, NE; five grandchildren, Mike and his wife Jane, David and his wife Ruth, Mark and his wife Becky, Kristi and her husband Mike and LeAnn and her husband Rolf; eight great grandchildren, Kellen, Alex, Ian, Logan, Nicole, Claire, Christian and Andreas. Luther was blessed with extended close family and many, many friends who have kept in contact these past years.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 18, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. at the Fremont Lutheran Church at Nyman, Iowa. Words of comfort were given by Pastor Jerry Lamb. Remembrances of Luther were shared by his grandson, David Dahl. Organist was Pat Tillman. The congregation sang, "How Great Thou Art" and "Children of the Heavenly Father". Attending the memory register was Joan Vest. Ushers were Leland Tillman and Elroy Blomberg. Interment was in the Essex Cemetery. Memorials are being directed to the Fremont Lutheran Church in Luther's name. The Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.