MADISON, GA'S HISTORIC CEMETERIES
MADISON, GA'S HISTORIC CEMETERIES
Madison Fairview Cemetery
CAROLINE
HARDEE PETER WALTON GODFREY GODFREY
PROMINENT BUSINESS MAN PASSES ON SUNDAY NIGHT
Sunday night last, July 7, 1935, about nine o’clock at his home on South Main Street occurred the death of Mr. P. W. Godfrey. He had been in his usual health until about noon of Sunday when he began to complain and while his family did not consider his condition at all alarming he passed away early in the night.
Funeral was held from the home at eleven o’clock on Tuesday and was one of the largest ever seen in Madison. Mr. Merrill M. Hutchinson, former reader of Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Atlanta, conducted the services. The soloist was Mr. T. Stanley Perry, also of Atlanta. Mrs. Perry was accompanist. Songs were “Unto the Hills from Whence Cometh My Help”, adapted from the 121st Psalm and Mrs. Eddy’s hymn “Shepherd Show me How to go”. A feature of the service was the spiritual, “A Witness for My Lord”, by a large number of plantation Negroes who had gathered in the backyard to pay a last tribute to their departed friend. This was an impressive feature of the service, inasmuch as these colored field hands shared largely in his affections and were a part of his daily life.
Rev. M. M. Maxwell, of the Griffin Methodist Church, read the 91st Psalm and pronounced the benediction at the graveside in the Madison cemetery, Hemperley Undertaking Co. in charge.
There was a great collection of gorgeous flowers. Seldom have so many and such beautiful ones been seen at a funeral here. They came from all parts of Georgia.
The active pallbearers were Messrs. E. G. Atkinson, George Parker, Fletcher Manley, Cornelius Vason, Jim Phillips, R. O. Arnold, T. W. Heard and Dr. J. R, July 7, 1935. Sams.
Honorary pallbearers were directors of Georgia peach Growers Exchange, officials of Bank of Covington, Bank of Madison, Madison Manufacturing Co., employees of Godfrey and Candler and Godfrey warehouses and members Madison and Covington Kiwanis Clubs.
Peter Walton Godfrey was the son of Dr. James Ervin Godfrey and Mary Walton Godfrey, and was born in Madison on April 5th, 1873, being in the sixty-third year of his age. He was educated in the common schools of his day and at private schools. More than forty years ago he was married to Miss Caroline Hardee, of Jacksonville, who survives him, with one daughter, Mrs. S. C. Candler, of Covington. There are two grand children- Miss Caroline Candler, now traveling in the west and Miss Frances Candler. Two sisters survive - Mrs. Lee Trammell and Miss Agnes Godfrey, of Madison, and a brother, Mr. F. B. Godfrey, of Orlando, Fla. A sister, Miss Fannie Godfrey, died some twenty years ago, and a brother Mr. J. E. Godfrey, died in 1924.
(It was noted in this issue of the Madisonian that it was the
height of peach season. P.W. Godfrey was a peach grower
with orchards on Aqua Road and also on Monticello Highway.)
MRS. PETER WALTON GODFREY Final tribute was paid Mrs. Peter Walton Godfrey, 88, prominent Covington author, in Tuesday after-noon services at 3:00 o’clock at Harwell’s Chapel. Mrs. Godfrey‘s death came Monday morning about 8:30 a.m., at her home, following an extended illness.
Harry Smith of Atlanta officiated in the last rites, which were concluded at Madison City Cemetery, where interment took place.
She was a member of the Second Church of Christian Science in Atlanta; a charter member and past president of Covington Woman’s Club, former State Regent Georgia Society D.A.R., and was respective honorary president and regent of these organizations, member of Atlanta Writhers’ Club; of the Sargeant Newton, DAR, and Covington Chapter UDC.
Survivors include a daughter and son Mr. and Mrs. Charles Candler of Madison, two granddaughters, Mrs. Lowry Hunt, Madison, Mrs. Candler Shumway, Manheim, Germany; three great grandchildren, Candler and Lowry Hunt, Jr., Madison; Mrs. Jimmy Hendrix, Covington; three great great grandchildren ; and numerous nieces and nephews, among whom are Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey Trammell.
From: The Covington News 2/14/1963
Linked to: www.findagrave.com
PETER WALTON GODFREY
The shocking news of the sudden death of Peter Walton Godfrey early Sunday night, July 7, 1935, at his home in this city was carried to friends and acquaintances all over Georgia by phone and telegraph wires and the daily newspapers of the state Monday morning.
He had been in his usual good health until a few hours before his death, with the promise of many more years of service to his day and generation.
His death removes from the stage of action one of the outstanding business men of this section of Georgia, a man who was recognized for the resourcefulness of his business life and esteemed for the integrity of his business character. He was a man of large and varied interests, to each enterprise of which he brought a genius for detail that brought a measure of success that was unusual. He was a ban of large means and of fine resources of both mind and character.
He came from two of the oldest and most distinguished families of this section of Georgia, and was himself a distinguished and upstanding Georgian. The history of this section of Georgia is very largely the story of the lives and characters of the Godfrey and Walton families. They were intimately identified with the progress and development of the sections in which they lived.
P. W. Godfrey made a fine contribution to the civic and business life of his people and the sterling qualities of his mind and heart and character marked him unmistakable as no ordinary man.
He always represented the highest and best in good citizenship, and whether in civic clubs, benevolent or secret orders or in business organizations he manifested the same even temper, calm judgment and wise counsel that were a part of his life.
Those who knew him best appreciated most the strength of his character and the firmness of his attachments. He moved in a quiet and dignified but forceful manner among his people, who feel a distinct loss in the going, and feel they will not see his like again.
The measure of esteem in which he was held by those who knew him was attested by the presence of the vast throng of people at his funeral.
Mr. Godfrey’s fine qualities of leadership were readily recognized, and he was a directing spirit in many industrial enterprises. He was president of the Georgia Peach Growers Exchange, vice president Covington Bank and Trust Co., president Godfrey and Candler, vice president Madison Manufacturing Co. and direction of Bank of Madison.
His business interests were large and active and varied. He had extensive farming and orchard interests in Morgan County and farming and property interests in Newton County, besides his warehouses and other enterprises. To all of these he brought a genius for business that was reflected in the safe, sound and progressive condition of them all.
A great business leader, an upstanding citizen and a strong and loyal friend has passed on.
Among those attending the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Godfrey, Orlando, Fla.; Mrs. Charles Ellis, Mrs. Barney Cubbedge, Savannah. Mr. W. C. Bewley, Mr. Mathews, and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Flanders, Macon. Rev. M. M. Maxwell, Mr. Doc Garland, Mr. Stone, Griffin. Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Bush, Birmingham. Mrs. Crawford Jenkins, Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Franklin, Montezuma. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Porter of Porterdale. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Turner, McDonough. Mrs. H. H. Stone, Mrs. Bonnell Stone, Mr. and Mrs. George S. Roach, Oxford. Mrs. W. T. Elder, Mrs. J. D. Sparks, Miss Emmie Heiberger, Jacksonville.
Bishop Warren A. Candler, Warren Sledd, H. C. Peeples, Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Lokey, Mrs. Andrew Fairlie, Mrs. Robert O. Argo, Mrs. Mark Cooper Pope, Mr. and Mrs. Mac Pope, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Finley, Mr. Harry McCord, Mrs. Robert J. Gwinn, Mrs. Edward Worcester, Jr., Mr. Merrill M. Hutchinson, Mr. and Mrs. T. Stanley Perry, Mrs. Trammell Scott, Mrs. F. M. Bostwick, Mrs. Annie L. Dodson, Mrs. Osgood Wynne, Atlanta.
Mr. Godfrey Trammell, Mr. and Mrs. N. s. Turner, Jr., Mrs. N. S. Turner, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Trox Bankston, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. King, Mr. Lee Fenche, Mrs. B. M. Mobley, Miss S. M. Sockwell, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Phillips, Dr. and Mrs. J. R. Sams, Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Fowler, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Fowler, Covington.
Rev. and Mrs. Walker Combs, Mrs. Carrie Osborne, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Cook, Miss Annie Mae Berry, Mr. and Mrs. Perino Dearing, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Odum, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Rogers, Mr. Robert Arnold, Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Guinn Mr. and Mrs. Guy Rogers, Mr. Ike Robertson, Mr. R. W. Parker, Mr. J. H. Stevens, Mr. A. C. Edmunds, of Covington.
Mr. and Mrs. Abe Loyd, Rev. Claude M. Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. T. G. Callaway, Sr., Mr. T. G. Callaway, Jr., Mrs. C. H. White, Mrs. May White Lee, Miss Margaret Farr, Mrs. Janie Gaither Arnold, Mr. and Mrs. Tom McMullen, Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Ginn, Mr. and Mrs. Belmont Dennis, Mr. A. M. Smith, Mr. R. A. Norris, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. David, Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Meadors, Mr. Donald Stephenson, Covington.
Dr. and Mrs. W. D. Travis, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Parr, Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bryant, Mr. and Mrs. T. c. Bryant, Mr. W. L. Montgomery, Miss Imogene Caldwell, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. weaver, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Wright, Miss Eva Stephenson, Mrs. Lillian Stephenson Weaver, Covington.