Dakota Renee Goss, 19, of Silsbee, died Friday, April 28, 2017. She was born on January 2, 1998, in Beaumont, to Nancy Lynette Pickett Williford and Gary Paul Goss. Dakota was a 2016 graduate of Silsbee High School and was attending Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
Dakota was a smart and beautiful young lady. She was studying for a degree in Interdisciplinary Agricultural, was in the Freshman Leadership Program, a member of Sigma Alpha Sorority, Student Government Association, Dean’s List, and the Honor Society. Dakota was captain of both State Qualifying Swine Quiz Bowl Teams in 2015 and 2016 for 4H. She was Captain of the Leaders for Life team as junior competitor as well Champion of many shows she competed in, especially with her goat. Dakota was the recipient of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Star awards and helped build award winning parade floats and award winning stall award decorations for her 4H Club. She was a mentor to the younger kids that became members through helping them learn to show livestock, teaching them parliamentary procedure, and always helping them and their parents with anything they needed.
Dakota was also involved in FFA. She competed in Creed speaking, quiz, and many other LED and CDE competitions including Dairy Judging, in which her team made it to state for two years, which led to her placing so well in Dairy Judging that she received a certificate to purchase a calf to show in the 2016 Scramble Show at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where she won an award for her stall display. She held an office for Silsbee FFA all four years of high school and received the Lone Star Degree her Senior year.
During her senior year, Dakota had the distinction of being selected President of Silsbee FFA, Sour Lake 4H Club, and Chairman of the Hardin County 4H Council. She also showed livestock for both organizations at the county, multi-county, and major levels. Dakota also competed on state Level at the San Antonio and Fort Worth Livestock Shows.
Survivors include her mother, Lynnette Williford and her husband, Dakota’s stepfather, Pat, of Silsbee; father, Gary Paul Goss of Sour Lake; sisters, Faith Cheyanne Doucet and her husband, Curtis, of Lumberton; and Shawnee Simpson of Silsbee; fiancé, Cole Williams of Silsbee; grandparents, Arlene Amundson and her husband, Randy, of New Caney; niece, Kacileigh Doucet; nephew, Jax Doucet; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her great-grandmother, Evelyn Ghrels; grandfather, Bud Picket; grandmother, Kathy Pickett; and grandfather, Leslie Goss.
A gathering of Dakota’s family and friends will be 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at Broussard’s, 490 Cemetery Road, Silsbee. Her funeral service will be 3:00 p.m., Thursday, May 4, 2017, at Broussard’s, with her interment to follow at Turner Branch Cemetery, Spurger.
