March 19, 2024

Florence Gosselink

Florence Gosselink, 94, of Lynnville died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, at the Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Lynnville Friends Church. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery near Lynnville. Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday with the family present from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Memorials may be directed to the Grinnell Regional Hospice and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with her family at www.smithfh.com.

Florence was born on Oct. 21, 1918, the fourth child of Edgar and Ethel Plant Flannigan in Roberts County, S.D. She attended country schools there. She lived in Chicago, Ill., and Oakland, Calif., where she worked at an ammunition plant during World War II.

She was united in marriage to Harold L. Gosselink on July 20, 1944, in New Sharon. They moved to the Lynnville area in 1960. She worked at Gosselink’s Grocery, before staying at home to raise their children.

Florence enjoyed gardening, needlework, baking and canning; nothing went to waste.  Her children always came first. She always welcomed visitors. Florence was a rare fan of both the Cubs and the Cardinals. She loved watching her grandchildren in all their activities and sports; supporting both teams, even when her grandchildren played against each other. Florence’s greatest love was for her family.

Florence is survived by her children, Dot (Wink) Zylstra of Sully, Dick (LaVonne) Gosselink of Grinnell, and Don (Cindy) Gosselink of Pella; eight grandchildren, Mike Zylstra, Lori Lambert, Ron Zylstra, Scott Gosselink, Troy Gosselink, Shane Gosselink, Amy Pothoven and Cory Gosselink; thirteen great-grandchildren, Abby, Lindsay, Kyle, Paul, Hannah, Justine, Cameron, Sarah, Jacob, Noah, Addison, Aiden and Olivia Jane; one great-great-grandson, Quinn; one sister, Eva Beebe of Salem, N.J.; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, in 1996; her parents; one sister, Mildred Hughes; and six brothers, Richard, Vern, Roy, Earl, Floyd and Donald Flannigan.