Village News

Cornelius Goossen married Katharina Barkman, daughter of Reverend Jacob M. Barkman, in 1874 shortly before sailing for Canada. They primarily earned their income from farming but had some of the smallest land holdings in Steinbach. Cornelius was also known for his ability to survey and often delineated fields for others. In 1883, they only farmed 15 acres and owned two horses, an ox and a wagon. They were known for surviving by being thrifty, and after 17 years they sold Wirtschaft 15 to Hendrik Sobering, who had immigrated from Romania in 1900.

The Goossen family had seven children, with only three surviving into adulthood. Son Cornelius married the girl next door, Margaretha Friesen, daughter of J. S. and Margaretha Friesen. They lived in Steinbach for a number of years before moving to the West Reserve. Daughter Katharina married Peter K. Esau who had worked as a teacher in Hochstadt and a cheese maker in Hochfeld. Peter attempted to run a grocer in Steinbach as well as being a cheesemaker, and later owning a tailor shop. After 1921 they moved to Winnipeg to operate an inn. Son Peter B. Goossen was widely known as a poet in the 1920s. He worked as an elevator operator for Coca-Cola in Winnipeg.

Katharina died suddenly in 1912, and Cornelius chose to relocate to Winnipeg after this. He lived with his daughter and son-in-law, Peter and Katharina, in Winnipeg until his own death in 1916.

The name Goossen was common in the development of Steinbach over the decades, but these were the descendants of Cornelius’ nephew Franz K. Goossen who was raised by the Johann Isaac family of Gruenfeld. His son John D. Goossen would go on to be reeve of the R.M. of Hanover and son Gerhard (George) D. became the village barber after studying in Winnipeg. He later sold his barber shop to become a butcher before eventually taking ownership of the livery barn and hotel from Klaas R. Toews in 1918.