1925 Biography - Marvin C. Goff

Marvin C. Goff, who maintains his residence and official headquarters in the City of Baton Rouge and who is here the division chief in the United States internal-revenue service, was born at Saltillo, Hardin County, Tennessee, March 27, 1890, the Goff family having long been one of prominence and influence in that county. Louis Goff, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, passed virtually his entire life in Decatur County, and was there a substantial exponent of farm industry, besides having been prominent in the civic affairs of his community. His wife, whose family name was Kelly, likewise was born in Decatur County, and there her death occurred when she was well advanced in years. Their son, Joseph W., who was born at the family homestead near Saltillo, January 26, 1847, has there continued his residence during the long intervening years, has been an extensive and successful agriculturist and stock-grower and is now living virtually retired at Saltillo, as one of the venerable and honored native sons of Hardin County. He has there been influential in the councils of the republican party, has served as road commissioner and was for many years a member of the school board. He was a Union soldier during the last two years of the Civil war, as a member of an Illinois infantry regiment, and he now maintains affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic. He has long been an active member of the Christian Church, as was also: his wife, whose maiden name was Dorcas Barber and who passed her entire life in Tennessee, where she was born in 1857 and where her death occurred in 1898. The first born of the children was a daughter, Emma, who died at the age of twenty-one years: Olie E. is a successful farmer near Scottshill, Tennessee; Ida resides at Saint Louis, Mo.; Raymond L. is engaged in business as a carpenter and builder in Tennessee: Loran W. is engaged in the automobile business at Saltillo, that state; D. Alton is a progressive farmer near Scottshill, Tennessee; Marvin C., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Nora is the wife of Ivy Ricketts, and they reside in Tennessee; and Nelle is the wife of Raymond Smith, a cabinetmaker, their home likewise being in Tennessee.

After receiving the discipline of the public schools of Saltillo Marvin C. Goff became a student in the high school at Sardis, Tennessee, and after leaving this school he entered Bowling Green Business University, at Bowling Green, Kentucky. In this excellent institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1910, and in the same year he came to Talisheek, Louisiana, and assumed the position of stenographer and assistant bookkeeper in the office of the Ozone Lumber Company. He was thus engaged eighteen months, and then became chief clerk of the Long-Bell Lumber Company at Woodworth. Two and one-half years later he made another advance step by assuming the position of general cashier and accountant for the Forest Lumber Company at Oakdale, this state. He retired from this position two years later to become president and manager of the Goff Motors Company, in the organization of which he was associated and which he became president at the time of its incorporation. He continued as the active executive head of this Oakdale concern until 1921, when he accepted the position of deputy collector of internal revenue, with headquarters at Lake Charles. There he continued his effective service in this capacity until his removal to Baton Rouge on the 1st, of August, 1923, where he has since held the responsible office of division chief in the internal-revenue service. He has supervision of the Baton Rouge division, which comprises thirty-one of the sixty-four parishes in Louisiana, and in the capital city his office are in the Federal, or Post Office, Building. He a director in Oakdale Chamber of Commerce Wall in business there, and is now a member of Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Goff has never deviated from the line of loyal allegiance to the republican party, and W,~. C residing at Oakdale he served as notary public under appointment by Gov. John M. Parker. He and his wife hold membership in the Christ Church, and record of his Masonic affiliations here indicated: Yellow Pine Lodge No. 282, And Free and Accepted Masons, and Oakdale Chapter No. 71, Royal Arch Masons, both at Oakdale, state; Trinity Commandery No. 8, Knights Templars, at Alexandria; and El Karubah Temple of the mystic Shrine, in the City of Shreveport. In the World war period Mr. Goff, then residing at Oakdale, was the parish publicity manager of all of the drives in support of the government war loans in Allen Parish, and found other and many mediums for patriotic service.

October 21, 1913, recorded the marriage of Mr. Goff and Miss Ethel Masten, daughter of the late Horace G~ and Alice (Stone) Masten, of Lake Charles, this state, Mr. Masten having been a substantial lumber manufacturer in that section of Louisiana. Mr. and Mrs. Goff have two children: Marvin C., Jr., born March 23, 1916, and Vivian Ione, born July 28, 1918.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, pages 102-103.