Christine M. “Chris” Godwin of Springfield, longtime Hermiston resident, died on July 17, 2019 in Springfield at the age of 98.
She was born on Sept. 14, 1920 in Savannah, Tenn. to Robert and Rigie Haggard House.
In April 1939, she married Sam L. Godwin in Corinth, Miss. Sam had been traveling the entire country looking for carpenter work during the depression. Sam met Chris when she was 15 years old and vowed that he would come back and marry her when she grew up. He then left for the Northwest for work and, true to his word, came back two years later to marry her.
Three years later, in 1941, they moved to Klamath Falls with their 2-year-old son Larry. They then moved to Hermiston in 1942. Sam worked as a carpenter, building the buildings at the Umatilla Army Depot. They spent time in Kennewick, Wash. building the Hanford Hotel. After moving back to Hermiston, Chris and Sam made quite a team building a bunch of houses, commercial buildings and schools all over Eastern Oregon. Chris was the painter, bookkeeper and general gopher. During the 1960s and 1970s, they owned Griffin-Godwin Auto Yard. She didn’t know much about cars when she started, but was a quick learner and made a lot of friends during the wrecking yard time.
Chris was a life member of the Eastern Star and really enjoyed the friendship, and especially the Easter Monday Luncheon and the Hat Parade. She was very accomplished in all types of crafts, especially crochet, and made lots of different things to give away. She loved to go to garage sales and greatly supported the local economy.
Chris is survived by her sons, Larry and his wife Shirley, Oxnard, Calif. and Dale and his wife Ellen, Eugene; five grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Sam in 2005; her parents; and seven siblings.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 3 p.m. at Burns Mortuary Chapel, Hermiston.
Burial will follow at the Hermiston Cemetery.
Please share memories of Chris with her family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements
