Cora Elizabeth (Good) Kauffman

Cora Elizabeth Good Kauffman

(June 8, 1920 - July 27, 2013)

Cora Elizabeth Good Kauffman passed away peacefully at her daughter Joy’s home in Salt Lake City, UT on July 27, 2013 after suffering a brain injury from a fall. She was 93 years old. 

Elizabeth, as she was called, was born to Anna Sarah Wenger and Abraham Good on June 8, 1920 in Nampa, Idaho. She was the oldest of 8 children and grew up on a farm where she learned to help with all aspects of farm life including milking cows, pumping water for them, helping with her mother’s large garden, helping with the harvest of crops and the many other chores that were needed on the farm.

She learned to sew as a young child and started out making clothes for her dolls. Later she sewed hundreds of dresses for her four daughters as they grew up, and also sewed clothes for other people who knew what a good seamstress she was. She made many beautiful quilts, and her children and grandchildren all have quilts she made for them.  Another talent Elizabeth had was her cooking and baking, and she is remembered for her many delicious meals with homemade breads, rolls, cookies and pies. 

Elizabeth graduated from high school in 1938 and moved to Portland, Oregon in 1943.  She met her future husband Tillman (Tim) Kauffman at Zion Mennonite Church where they married in 1946. They moved to Nampa, Idaho where they purchased a dairy farm and lived for the next 30 years, during which time they raised 4 daughters. Elizabeth is a life-long member of the Mennonite Church.

In 1976, Tim & Elizabeth moved to Oregon City, Oregon where they lived for 12 years.  In 1988 they moved to Arizona, and most of their retirement years were spent in Arizona at Sun City Retirement Community, a place they enjoyed and where they made many friends. Tim passed away in 2002, and in 2009 Elizabeth moved to Salt Lake to live with her daughter Joy.  In the last four years she enjoyed being a part of the life of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, some of whom she saw almost every day. 

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brothers James, Edwin & Samuel, sisters Rhoda & Miriam who died at a young age. She is survived by two sisters, Martha Yoder of Portland, Oregon and Ester V. Good of Salt Lake City, her four daughters, Karen (Robert) Weaver of Atlanta, GA, Joy (Badawe) Khader of Salt Lake City, Rhoda (Greg) Denny of Salt Lake City and Faith (Roland) Bonds of Nampa, Idaho. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. 

Graveside services will be held at a later date in Nampa, Idaho. 

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to encourage those who wish, to donate to the Mennonite Central Committee (www.mcc.org) in her memory.  Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, sharing God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC was a regular recipient of donations from Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was a wonderful mother, sister, grandma and great-grandma.  She will be greatly missed and remembered by us forever.