Clifford C. Godsey 1931-2011

GODSEY FLETCHER WATTS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2011 at 22:13:49

Sioux City Journal
25 February 2011

SLOAN, Iowa -- Clifford C. Godsey 79, of Dubuque, Iowa, formerly of Sloan, died Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, at home surrounded by his family following a courageous battle with cancer.

Services were held Feb. 15 at the Masonic Temple in Dubuque. Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2, in Sloan Cemetery. Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Dubuque is in charge of arrangements.

Cliff was born July 20, 1931 on his parents' farm southeast of Sloan. He was the third child of Curtis "Jake" and Mae (Fletcher) Godsey. Cliff attended Sloan Consolidated School, Iowa State University and earned his agricultural engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif. He began working for the John Deere San Francisco branch as a service engineer for five years.

On Sept. 12, 1959, Cliff married Beverly (Watts) Suknot in Sunnyvale, Calif. They lived in Cupertino, San Mateo and Yuba City, Calif., before he was transferred to Dubuque Tractor Works in 1964. He worked as a test engineer for three years, then was transferred to Mannheim, Germany, where he was the liaison between John Deere Dubuque and John Deere Mannheim. His family lived in Heidelberg, Germany, for two and a half years before coming back to Dubuque in 1969. He retired in 1985.

The organizations that have been very important to Cliff included Grand View United Methodist Church, the Cub Scouts (when his boys were young) and the YMCA. In 1969, Cliff joined the Metropolitan Lodge 49 of the Masons of Iowa, where he served in many offices including Master, secretary and other offices. He was honored to serve as Junior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of Iowa in 1981 and 1982. He served on the Board of Custodians of the Work for 13 years traveling all over Iowa instructing Brother Masons. In 1985 and 1986, he served the Grand Lodge as Junior Grand Warden. In 2002 and 2003, he served as Grand Master of Masons in Iowa. He joined The Order of the Eastern Star, where he served as Worthy Patron four different times with his wife Bev as Worthy Matron of Julien Chapter 125. He also belonged to Clinton Scottish Rite, Cedar Valley York Rite, St. Ignatius Conclave Red Cross of Constantine in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Oxus Grotto-Dubuque, Iowa Research Lodge. The wonderful men who are members of all these bodies have become lifelong friends. Cliff was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Survivors include his wife of more than 51 years, Beverly of Dubuque; his children, Kathy (Paul) Fahey of Dubuque, Curt (Joanie) Godsey of Scottsdale, Ariz., and James "Randy" Godsey of Sacramento, Calif.; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his siblings, Donna Koenig of Sloan, Dorothy Redmond of Gretna, Neb., George (Bonnie) Godsey of Hendersonville, Neb., Richard (Pam) Godsey of Sequim, Wash., and Rosemary Hansen of Ute, Iowa; also surviving are many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jake (Curtis) and Mae (Fletcher) Godsey; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Milton and Bernice (Allen) Watts.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Grand View United Methodist Church, 3342 John Wesley Dr., Dubuque, IA 52002; Metropolitan Lodge 49 of Dubuque or the Julien Chapter Order of The Eastern Star, both at 1155 Locust St., Dubuque, IA 52001.

The Godsey family wishes to extend a special thank you to Drs. Ronald Schope, John Viner, Mark Hermann and James Voelker; the ER nurses and staff at Finley Hospital and Hospice of Dubuque for their constant care and support.