Michelle Marie Goebel

Michelle Marie (Bee) Goebel, 69, formerly of Richland Center, passed away peacefully at her home in Viroqua on April 4, 2023 after a short bout with cancer. Michelle was born February 17, 1954 in St. Paul, MN with her twin brother Michael C. Bee to Beverly Ann Calender before being adopted by her loving family Francis Theron and Helen (Pequignot) Bee as the youngest of four children. Michelle spent her early childhood on the Bee farm in Sabin, Wisconsin before moving to Richland Center in 1963 after Francis’ M.S. diagnosis. She graduated from RCHS in 1972 and went on to WWTI in LaCrosse for her Dental Assistant certificate during which time she met the love of her life, Michael D. Goebel. She worked for a couple years as an assistant to Dr. Louie Williams, DDS in Richland Center before going to the UW-Richland campus to complete her Associate degree. After marrying Michael on June 21, 1975, she went on to complete the Dental Hygiene program at MATC. Michelle and Michael lived in various towns across Wisconsin before resettling in Richland Center in 1980. Michelle’s primary career as a dental hygienist spanned 38 years and multiple different doctors’ offices, and she is fondly remembered by many patients. Michelle and Michael became loving parents to Amanda in 1982 and Zachary in 1985, but more than being just a mother, Michelle is known throughout the Richland and Viroqua communities through her many acts of service and love. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Richland Center, and while raising her two young children in the community, Michelle realized the need for an additional organized preschool program and worked tirelessly alongside her best friend Beverly Burns to develop a non-profit daycare and created Noah’s Ark Preschool. While a member of the church, she was a director for the junior choir, a Sunday school teacher, a member of the senior choir, and involved with many Christmas pageants, programs and musical performances. Michelle was involved in her community in so many different ways over the years it would be impossible to list them all. Some of the most memorable were her involvement with the Richland County Jaycees/Jaycettes and the Miss Richland County Pageant, coaching many young women to go on to the Miss Wisconsin Pageant. Her passion for the arts and especially the theater only grew over the years starting with performing in plays and musicals at the UW-Richland Campus and through Richland Center Community Players, then co-directing musicals at the RCHS with Pam Kintz, and eventually going on to solo direct multiple spring and fall plays at the high school. Michelle guided and advised many students she worked with over the years, many of whom came to think of her as a second mom. After completing her dental career she found her third passion at the Lincoln school in the Richland School District as a paraprofessional working with preschool 4 and 5 year old children and more recently as a substitute teacher at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Forest School in the Lafarge School District where she had the joy of helping teach her 4 year old granddaughter. Michelle is survived by her husband of 47+ years, Michael D. Goebel, her daughter Amanda and granddaughter Indi Marie of Viroqua, her son Zachary (Chelsey) of Hillsboro, OR, her brother David Bee of Richland Center, her brother Charles Robert (Sandy) Bee of Richland Center, her sister-in-law Christine Bee of Monona, IA, her sister Mary Jo Pitts of Eugene, OR, and her sister Maggie Burke of Tucson, AZ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Helen Bee, her brother James (Judy) Bee, and her twin brother Michael Bee as well as many other aunts, uncles, cousins, family members and loved ones. A Celebration of Michelle’s Life will be held by the family on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at Noon at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1004 W. Broadway St., Viroqua, WI. Friends may call at Immanuel Lutheran Church from 10 AM until the time of service at Noon. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to the family for distribution to her most cherished community causes. www.clarymemorialfuneralhome.com .

Michelle Marie Goebel

February 17, 1954 - April 4, 2023