RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2015
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
Here is some more information found in the Opal and Lester Saffell family papers, which are currently held in a private collection in Lubbock, Texas. Very fragile, the newspaper clippings probably came from an Iowa newspaper published in the early twentieth century. (Some punctuation, capital letters in proper names, and other letters have been added for clarity and readability of the clippings. All-caps for surnames are used for emphasis.)
Written in pencil on the first clipping, headlined “Services Held for Mrs. Godfrey This Afternoon,” is the year 1931. The dateline is “Elliott, Ia., February 2: Special.”
Mrs. Ellen GODFREY died at midnight Friday at her home northwest of Elliott. Death resulted from complications due to her age. She had been in poor health for several years, but her final illness covered a period of five weeks.
She was born March 23, 1844, in Brown County, Indiana, a daughter of Larkin and Sarah DeHART. She was married March 14, 1868, to Clark GODFREY, who died April 11, 1916. She is survived by six children: Mrs. Isabelle HEBERLEE of Stearville, Kas. (sic) [i. e., Spearville, Kansas], Ernest GODFREY of Irvington, Minn., Frank GODFREY, Mrs. Nelle HAMLIN, Maude and Emma of Elliott. She also leaves eighteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Godfrey formerly lived in Illinois as well as Indiana and came to Waveland Township in Pottawattamie County in 1873. She was a member of the Methodist Church of Elliott.
Funeral services were held in the
Elliott church this afternoon with burial in the Elliott cemetery. Rev. M. A.
BANKER preached the service assisted by Rev. Henry ESCH. Pallbearers were Paul,
Victor, and Harold GODFREY, [and] Russell, Gerald, and Merrill HAMLIN.
(Editor’s note: For the obituary of
Ellen’s husband, Clarkson S. “Clark” Godfrey, see “Kinsearching,”
dated 1 February 2015.)
An undated and untitled newspaper article headlined “Earl Godfrey Dead” also comes from the Saffell papers. The sub-heading for the clipping is “Unfortunate Elliott Young Man Passed Away Tuesday from Burns Received March 9.”
Eiliott, March 26 - Earl Lee GODFREY, 21 years of age, died at the home of his mother, Mrs. Grace GODFREY, early Tuesday, from burns received on Monday, March 9. Death came after two weeks of intense suffering.
Funeral service (sic) at the Methodist Church were held Thursday, March 26, Rev. CORKILL, pastor of the church, having charge, and was assisted by Rev. SUTTON, pastor of the Christian Church. A mixed quartet from the choirs of both churches, furnished the music. Interment was in the Elliott cemetery. Those [who came] from a distance to attend the funeral were Mrs. Nell WATSON, of Brookfield, Mo.; Isabelle HEBERLEE of Spearsville, (sic) Kan.; and John HAMLIN of Raymer, Colo.
Earl Lee GODFREY was born in
Pottawattamie County, this state, south of Griswold, July 17, 1903. He had been
in the employe (sic) of the Jas. (sic)
FLOOD garage for several months and two weeks ago when he was starting a fire in
the basement of the garage, he mistook gasoline for kerosene and an explosion
followed. His clothing was burned from his body.
He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Grace GODFREY, and two sister (sic)
and two brothers, Veta, Dorothy, Clyde, and Paul GODFREY, all of Elliott.
(Editor’s note: Earl Lee Godfrey died
in 1925. For more data about these individuals and pictures of their tombstones
in Hillside Cemetery in Elliott, Iowa, go to
www.findagrave.com .)