Born May 28, 1943 in Medford, Oklahoma, he was the son of Orval and Sarah “Ellen” (Aldrich) Goertz. He was raised and received much of his education in Medford. In 1959, the family moved to Winfield, Kansas where Vernon graduated from Winfield High School in 1961. He then attended Southwestern College on a football scholarship, graduating with a bachelor’s degree with a major in education in 1966. He served as a Student Assistant Coach during his final year at Southwestern College.
Vernon was united in marriage to Cynthia “Cindy” Batt on June 12, 1966 in Florence, Kansas. Vernon was a teacher and a coach. He started his career in Arkansas City and began teaching math at Winfield Middle School in 1969. He remained at the middle school for 34 years, retiring in 2003. He coached football at Winfield High School, was Assistant Football Coach at Southwestern College for 22 years, and Assistant Football Coach at Friends University for two years. Vernon was the Head Wrestling Coach at Winfield High School from 1981 until 1996, the year he led the Vikings to their highest place in the state wrestling tournament. He was named State Wrestling Coach of the year in 1993, 1995, and 1996. Vernon was inducted into the Southwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He and Cindy received Southwestern College Outstanding Alumni Award in 2016. He was a partner in B&G/Barney, Goertz and Heptig Construction beginning in 1978, and has built more than 30 custom homes in the Winfield area, as well as several commercial buildings.
Vernon was a very active member of the First United Methodist Church, serving on various committees including the Board of Trustees. He was an active member of the United Methodist Men, regularly cooking breakfasts and helping prepare spaghetti and pancake suppers. He also volunteered on several ministry teams including, Campus Ministry, Mission Projects, Tuesday’s Table, and served on VIM Teams. He was also a member of the Winfield Rotary Club. He served on the Board of Directors, helped set up flags, helped deliver I Like Me books to kindergarten and dictionaries to third graders, and led a crew building the gazebo at Winfield Senior Living. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Camp Horizon and led the team that built the Welcome Center, the Sanctuary, and worked on several other remodeling projects. He was Crew Chief for Island Park when the original playground was built and helped with both rebuilds. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling, attending Southwestern College athletic events, and spending time with family and friends.
His family includes his wife Cindy Goertz; his daughters, Lori Hubert and husband, Mike and their two sons, Jacob and Caleb; Kelle Thompson and husband, Craig and their two children, Hunter and Mark; and his sister Cora Frazee.
Vernon was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. at First United Methodist Church in Winfield. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery. A visitation is scheduled at Miles Funeral Service on Tuesday from 4 to 8 P.M. The family will greet visitors from 5 to 7 that evening.
Memorials have been established in Vernon’s name for Camp Horizon, First United Methodist Church, and for Southwestern College Athletic Department. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.