A funeral service for Erleen Beatrice Zander Gossett, 92, of Columbia, will be held 1 o'clock, Thursday, August 30th at Eau Claire Baptist Church with the Rev. Stephen Bouknight officiating. Burial will follow in Springfield Cemetery at 3:30 o'clock. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 o'clock, Wednesday evening, at Shives Funeral Home, Colonial Chapel, 5202 Colonial Drive, Columbia. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to Eau Claire Baptist Church, 4427 Main Street , Columbia, SC 29203.

Mrs. Gossett died Monday, August 27, 2018. Born in Dale, Texas, on February 20, 1926, she was a daughter of the late Fred Gus and Idea Selma Schroeder Zander. She attended Joliet Baptist Church and Prairie Lea Baptist church in Texas. She became a member of Eau Claire Baptist Church and the XYZ Club. She worked in Vacation Bible School riding the church bus with her children, she became President of the Phoebean Sunday School Class and loved her church. Mrs. Gossett worked for Carolina Life Insurance and retired from Insurance Services Office after 23 years and 7 months, as the company closed the Columbia office. She was the soft-ball pitcher for Carolina Life's team. She was an insurance auditor for seven years and, before she retired, she was a field representative.

Mrs. Gossett loved her husband, Wilson, his family and her family and friends. She loved to work in her flowers and garden and also shared plants with others. She also loved fishing and took great pride in her grandchildren and the great grandchildren.

After graduating from Prairie Lea High School in Texas, she attended Southwest Texas Teachers College. She taught all her children the love of reading books and loved to read books herself. She and Bruce have read over 28 books of Clive Cussler and all the books by Jean M. Auel. She and Dale and grandchildren finished together, and Sharon loved shopping together and fixing her mother's hair. She missed her family and friends in Texas, but she loved her husband's family and cared for them when they needed her. Each year on on July 4th, family came from Springfield and shared a day of fishing and eating on Lake Murray.

Survivors include her children, Bruce W. Gossett (Sherrie) of Lexington, Dale L. Gossett (Vickie) of Gilbert, Sharon A. Gossett Benjamin (A. Lee) of Clinton; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Delta Mae Webber.