Waldo Jeremy Goossen was born on September 26, 1963 in Harvey County, Kansas. His dramatic entrance into this world at nearly 100 miles per hour in a 1963 Plymouth Savoy set the tone for his unconventional story, much of which unfolded in a cross-cultural context. Waldo loved the witty side of life, he loved people, and he loved Jesus.

Waldo’s exposure to cross-cultural life began early. In 1967, when he was three and a half years old, his family crossed the Atlantic on a passenger liner, the TS Bremen to live in Germany where his parents, Alva and Linda, were church planting missionaries. This setting for his most impressionable years shaped him significantly. Attending German school he quickly became fluent in three languages: Low German, High German, and English. On the home front, the family prioritized daily Bible reading and prayer with their three children, John, Waldo, and Eldora, and from an early age God’s Word took root in Waldo’s life. In 1979, he finished German high school and the family returned to live in the States.

As a teenager at a Word of Life Camp in Germany, Waldo dedicated his life to cross-cultural service, a decision which ultimately led to a pursuit of missionary aviation at Moody Bible Institute. Part of his training there involved a short term trip to work with AIM AIR in Kenya. He was hooked! Using his aviation and avionics training to serve the people and church with AIM (Africa Inland Mission) in East Africa now became his life’s goal.

In 1987, just a few weeks before he was to leave for his first term of service in Nairobi, he met Lynette Kroeker, a teacher in Hutchinson, KS, and invited her to a correspondence relationship. Two and a half years later, they were married and she joined him in Nairobi where they were involved in ministry and raised their three children, Naomi, Jeremy, and Elijah, over the next twenty years.

Waldo’s work at Nairobi’s Wilson Airport centered in the avionics shop which serviced the radios for AIM AIR’s fleet of mission aircraft. In this environment, he actively sought relationships with the Kenyan staff and endeared himself to them as he practiced learning Swahili. He succeeded to the point that he could play with their words, understand their humor, and speak to their hearts. Before the cell phone became commonplace, Waldo had regular Ham radio schedules with missionaries living in remote places, providing vital communication services. He was active as an elder in the local church and had a generous heart, freely giving to help with individual needs and countless projects.

In 2009, an unexpected lymphoma diagnosis brought an abrupt end to twenty-two years of ministry and life in Kenya. Waldo received a stem cell transplant at University of Nebraska’s Medical Center in 2010 and subsequently, Omaha became the family’s new home. Ultimately, this led to a total career change, and he became an administrative assistant for a financial advisor. He thoroughly enjoyed this work for nearly ten years, but it was his interactions with both co-workers and clients which were the icing on the cake. Whether you enjoyed or endured his endless puns or plays on words, they were truly his love language.

God mercifully gave Waldo fifteen years of remarkable health following his aggressive lymphoma treatment. He saw his children graduate from both high school and college, traveled to visit friends and family, and welcomed a son-in-law and two grandchildren into his own family. Cancer surfaced again in 2024, and through two years of relentless treatments and hospitalizations Waldo continued to cling to life, to his work, and to the people he loved. As a young man, Waldo chose Revelation 2:10 as his life verse - “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.” On September 15, 2026 he finished his race and is now seeing Jesus, the author and perfecter of his faith.

Waldo joins his mother, Linda, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who preceded him in death. We who remain to deeply feel his absence are his father, Alva Goossen; wife, Lynette; children, Naomi (Stefan) Becker, Jeremy, and Elijah; grandchildren, Elsie-Grace and Matthias Becker; brother, John (Sue) Goossen; sister, Eldora (Randy) Brock, and a large extended family of nieces, nephews, in-laws, uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Graveside services will be held on Friday, September 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Harbine Cemetery near Harbine, NE.

Visitation - Monday, Sept 21, 5-8 pm at Crosspoint Bible Church - 78th and Fort St. - Omaha, NE

Memorial Service - Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10:30 am at Crosspoint Bible Church - 78th and Fort St. - Omaha, NE

Memorials in Waldo's honor have been designated to Avant: Brazil Harvest Radio Outreach. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.