RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 25, 2018
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
The information in this week’s column came from 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 one or more Iowa newspapers 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.)
This obituary for Clarkson S. GODFREY is similar to one printed in the Kinsearching column dated 1 February 2015. Some details in both obituaries are the same, although they are worded differently. Since part of the first obituary was missing, some information in this obituary is more complete.
“Clarkson S. GODFREY was born in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, July 17, 1835, and died at his home in Waveland Township, Pottawattamie County, April 11, 1916. He lived to be over fourscore years old, 80 years, 8 months, 24 days.
Mr. Godfrey had been poorly for several years. For many months, life’s brittle thread was threatening to break.
He started farming for himself back in Warren County, Illinois. He purchased in 1872 the homestead in Waveland Township, moving there the following year.
During the {Civil} War, Mr. Godfrey responded to his country’s call of need and joined Company H, 47th Illinois Infantry and served to the close of the war.
He was one of ten children. A brother in Kansas City, Missouri, and a sister in Monmouth, Illinois, are still living, also the aged wife, the children and grandchildren.
In 1868, Mr. Godfrey was married to Miss Ellen DeHART. Ten children were born to them, three of whom died when small. The seven living are: Maud, Mrs. John HIBERLEE, Frank, Albert, Mrs. Frank HAMLIN, Ernest of Worthington, Minn., and Emma. Mr. Godfrey was a kind father and a good neighbor and citizen.
The funeral services were held in the M. E. Church at Elliott, where a large crowd gathered to show their empathy for the bereaved and their love and respect for the old veteran. The music was beautiful and appropriate, furnished by a double quartette composed of Mesdames F. H. OSBORN, Ira HARTMAN, Chas. GEESAMAN, R. W. HUBBARD, and Messrs. Geo. SELBY, T. H. LATHAN, John WEST, and Dean MANKER.
Rev. Chas. E. MAYNE, pastor of the M. E. circuit, of Griswold, read the scripture and offered prayer, and the sermon was delivered by Rev. D. B. S. PRATHER. The pall bearers were Sol CORDERMAN, John MURCHISON, John CHRISTIAN, Henry EBERT, John HAMLIN, and J. SPIKER. Interment was made in the Hillside Cemetery near Elliott.”
As the GODFREY obituary shows, one of his daughters married into the HAMLIN family. These miscellaneous newspaper clippings, both undated, mention some Hamlin individuals.
“Lee HAMLIN came in Saturday night from Burlington and Yuma, Colo., where he has spent the summer.”
“Delbert SHEPPARD, Claude HAMLIN, Marion AHLSTRAND, and Richard S. PIKE left Friday for Ames {Iowa} to attend the state college.”
End