Local First Responders Remember One of Their Own

Fayette County First Responders gave a momentous farewell to Ledbetter Volunteer Firefighter Karl Goehring at his funeral on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Goehring, a 47-year-old husband and father of two, died in a crash in Rutersville on Saturday, Nov. 19, after a suspected drunk driver hit his vehicle while Goehring was returning home from a grocery trip in La Grange. He was well-known across the County as a businessman, musician and friend to many.

The funeral took place at Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home in La Grange. Lutheran Pastor Gary Johnson conducted the service. Goehring’s brother and business partner, Bobby Beck of Carmine, delivered a eulogy. It was standing-roomonly inside the funeral chapel.

Representatives from each fire department in Fayette County were among the mourners. A line of fire trucks followed the hearse from the funeral home to Florida Chapel Cemetery near Round Top. Fire trucks, ambulances and patrol vehicles from the Sheriff’s Office blocked the intersections along the route. First responders stood at attention outside their vehicles, with hats pressed against their chest. People who lived along the route stood outside their homes and watched the long procession. The Giddings Volunteer Fire Department posted their ladder truck along SH 237 near the corner of Florida Chapel Rd. A gigantic American flag hung from the top of the ladder, which could be seen from nearly a mile away. A crowd of mourners, perhaps a hundred or more, arrived at the country graveyard. Pastor Johnson conducted the burial rites. Goehring’s fellow firefighters turned on their radios for one last fire call. A 911 dispatcher called out Goehring’s name over the radio and recognized him for 10 years of service to the Ledbetter community. “This is not a goodbye, but a farewell,” the dispatcher said.

Ledbetter Fire Chief Kevin Woelfel presented Goehring’s widow, April, with a badge and patch. Then the crowd gathered around Goehring’s 13-year-old eldest son, Cohen, as he played a few lines on his guitar from Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” one of his father’s favorite songs. Friends and family later gathered at the Rutersville Sons of Hermann Hall to share memories and fellowship.