Billie D. Gooden

Billie D. Gooden, 77, of Littleton. Ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Pastored churches in Kansas and Colorado. Many other interests and contributions; most recently retired after ten years as electrician with Jefferson County Public Schools. Husband of Patricia; Father of Mark (Nancy) Gooden of Lincoln, NE & Kent (Julieanne) Gooden of Roanoke, TX. Grandfather of Bethany, Spencer, Emily, Melody. Brother of Kenneth of MN, Clyde of VA, and Mary of CO. Visitation Friday 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Funeral service, Saturday, 2:30 pm., Bear Valley Fellowship, 2606 S. Sheridan Blvd., Denver, 80227. Interment Tuesday, 10:00 am., Fort Logan National Cemetery, Area "B". Memorials to the church in lieu of flowers. Billie D. Gooden was born in Wichita, Kansas, January 9, 1929, to Clyde O. and Dorothy Gooden. He was one of 7 children in the family; Duane, Alice, Billie, Kenneth, Clyde, Mary, and Martha. They lived in many places in the Wichita area. Clyde worked at a lumber yard and eventually in the construction business. In the late 30's they lived for a while in Colorado, on the Western Slope, and had a fruit orchard. When Clyde and Dorothy reached their 50th wedding anniversary, it was calculated that they had moved 50 times in those 50 years. Clyde and Dorothy had become Christians early in their marriage and always tried to have the family involved in church activities, primarily in the Weslyan Methodist and Nazarene churches. Older brother Duane enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and served during WWII. Bill wasn't old enough to serve during the war, but enlisted in the Air Force shortly after and spent some time in England during the Berlin Air Lift. He worked on B-29 bombers and other planes, mostly with sheet metal fabricating and riveting. Because he was small (5'4") he often worked in the small spaces in the wing sections of the planes. This work was very noisy and hearing protection wasn't used, so this work may have contributed to his loss of hearing in later years. He was proud of this work and continued in the aircraft industry after his time in the military. He became an inspector and was known as a tough one. Bill was never excited about school work, always being interested in too many things to study for long, so he didn't finish high school formally. As a young man he had his share of adventures and enjoyed having a nice new car. But he knew he wasn't really happy. In the fall of 1954 while driving his 1953 Chevy Bel-Aire, he heard God speak to him and say, "You've tried the world and are you satisfied? Why don't you try My way." He immediately turned around and returned to town where he knew a revival was going on at the Augusta Nazarene Church. He was saved and sanctified during those revival services and turned his life over to God and His service. Knowing God had called him to preach and pastor, he earned his GED and enrolled at Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University) in Bethany, Okalahoma. Around that time he met Patricia Franklin of Hutchinson, Kansas, who was also a student at BNC, and they were married in June of 1955. Nine months and one day later, Mark Allen Gooden was born. Working full-time to support a young family and attending college full-time at the same time was difficult but they managed to get through it. During their senior years, Kent Nelson Gooden was born at home on a cold December evening in 1958. Kent's sudden arrival demonstrated his later pattern of incredible timing. Graduation from Bethany came for all four in the summer of 1959, and Bill was called to pastor the Nazarene Church in Russell, Kansas. They pastored there for three years, for a while living in an apartment in the back of the church. Patricia was an elementary school teacher which was indispensable to supporting the family. Bill always had projects around the church and their home in which the boys "helped." The church was small; one family with 12 children made up more than half of the congregation. Mark started school in Russell, and after his school day was over he would go visit his mother in her classroom. One Sunday when Mark was six years old, during his Dad's sermon, he came forward to pray and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Minneapolis, Kansas, was the next place Bill was called to pastor. Patricia got another teaching job there and Kent went to kindergarten there. Both boys were always thrilled on Sunday mornings when their dad would let them ring the church bell calling the congregation to Sunday School and worship. The bell rope seemed so big in their small hands, and Daddy would support them as the bell pulled them off the ground when it rang. Mark became a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Minneapolis when he was eight years old. A young couple who lived close were saved under Bill's ministry and later became pastors of the same congregation. Minneapolis was where Kent showed his incredible acting ability at a very young age when Mark threw a walnut over a hundred yards and hit Kent in the head. Kent fell to the ground pretending to be hurt while Mark begged him, "don't tell Mother, don't tell Mother," but, of course, he had his revenge. (written by Mark) After three years in Minneapolis, Bill accepted the call to pastor in Wray, CO. Bill loved to hunt and fish and enjoyed many good times pheasant hunting with members of the Wray church. One day while emptying the last bb from his bb gun Mark accidentally shot the glass door of the Wray city hall building across the street. Bill, always full of ideas and never one to miss an opportunity, went to the chief of police and offered to replace the glass if he could save the old piece and use it for a desktop. The chief refused the offer and said not to worry about the glass, but rumor has it that the police chief was soon the proud owner of a new glass desktop, complete with a tiny bb hole. Wray is also where Mark threw Kent's superball through the window of the church, for which Bill confiscated the superball. This is the only know instance of injustice ever perpetrated by Bill. Kent never got his superball back and is still mad at Mark. (This section written by Kent.) Many good times were had while living in Wray and Bill would remark later in life that maybe he should have never left. Thornton, Colorado, was the next stop. It seemed to be a good challenge and opportunity, but less than two years later, the Lamar church made a call, and the family went to southeastern Colorado. Lamar was the longest stay for the family. Kent was in 5th grade and Mark was in 8th. In February, 1970, Bill went to Panama on a Work and Witness trip with other pastors. He always said it was one of the hightlights of his life to preach through an interpreter and minister to so many people. Patricia taught elementary school for nine years. Bill resigned as pastor of the church in the spring of 1974 and they purchased their first home in a nice neighborhood of Lamar across from the park. When Mark graduated from Lamar High School in 1974 he left for Mid-America Nazarene College (later University). In the summer of 1975 the extended Gooden family celebrated the 50th anniversary of Clyde and Dorothy Gooden. Bill was commissioned as an evangelist that summer. In August he started construction on another house in Lamar and they moved into it in February, 1976. Later that year Bill got a Real Estate license and sold residential and commercial real estate. He and Kent took flying lessons. After graduating from MANC in 1977, Mark was married to Nancy Jo Smith of Bloomington, MN. Bill, Patricia and Kent took a long vacation through Minnesota, Canada, Yellowstone and the Tetons. Later that year Bill earned a Private Pilot's license and bought an interest in a small plane. Patricia's parents, John and Ruby Franklin, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December of 1977. The economy in Lamar was poor at that time so Bill went to Denver to find work. Patricia stayed and taught school for another year and then moved to Denver. Clyde Gooden, Bill's dad, died in May, 1978. Bill held several jobs as evangelist, real estate appraiser, real estate inspector, and others. Patricia started teaching elementary school again, this time at Plum Creek Elementary in Littleton, CO. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1980. Mark graduated from law school that year, and he and Nancy moved to Minnesota. Kent graduated from MANC in 1983. Bill and Patricia moved into the Gray street house in Littleton. Bill constantly worked at projects around the house; he built sheds and a "Giraffe Barn" and did landscaping and decorating for the next 20+ years. Bill worked at Jefferson County Public Schools as an electrician for ten years and retired at the end of 1993. They attended the Faith Church of the Nazarene (later Bear Valley Fellowship) on south Sheridan in Denver and were very active always. Patricia played piano and organ for many years and Bill taught Sunday School and preached anytime he was asked. Grandchildren arrived in 1985 and 1988. Mark and Nancy had Bethany Lynn and Spencer James. They moved from Eden Prairie, MN to Lincoln, NE in 1994. Bill and Patricia purchased a time-share condo in Winter Park, CO and a motorhome and enjoyed traveling. For their 40th anniversary they spent two weeks in Hawaii. In February, 2000, Kent was married to Julieanne Campbell in Golden, CO. They lived in the Kansas City area and later moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. They contributed two more granddaughters in 2003 and 2006, Emily Anna and Melody Grace. Bill and Patricia's 50th Anniversary in June, 2005, was a wonderful time with family and friends. All of Patricia's 36 scrapbooks were on display. Health issues increased the last couple of years, although Bill always enjoyed the bowling league and maintaining his yard. He remained active with projects around the house and teaching his Sunday School class until his breathing became difficult and his legendary energy waned. Family and friends visited often and he was always happy to talk and tell stories and reminisce. In May, 2006, Bill and Patricia decided to sell the Gray street house, where they had made many friends, and moved into a single-level townhome just a few miles west. They had a great garage sale and completed the move, but he never really got a chance to enjoy the new place. Several hospital visits were necessary, but after each one, he was his usual optimistic self and was so grateful for all the help and support he and Patricia received. He loved to talk to people about Jesus, and he described one of the longer hospital stays as "just like a revival." Kent and Julianne and their daughters visited the last full week. Grandson Spencer came down from Ft. Collins and played his guitar for his grandpa. The day before he died, Bill asked Patricia, "Well, is there anything else for us to say except, 'I love you'?" He was a loving, and loved, husband. His sons were proud to call him 'Daddy.' He loved and prayed for his grandchildren daily. He loved God, and lived well. He went to see Jesus on Tuesday, August 8, 2006. He lived the fullest 77 years anyone could ever ask. When you see him next, he'll either be fishing or adding a new room to his mansion.