Ancestors

John Austin Godwin

John A. Godwin was born in February 1872 in Dallas County, Alabama. Family accounts place his birth at Plantersville. His death record gives his full name as John Austin Godwin and his parents as Henry Godwin and Eliz Austin, and his mother's own gravestone reads "Caddie Austin, wife of W. H. Godwin". Family accounts write the middle name and his mother's surname as Alston.

He was the second son of William Henry Godwin and Caddie Austin, who farmed in Wilcox County. In June 1880, aged eight, he was at home in Snow Hill Beat with his parents and his brothers and sister Jacet T., Silvester, Bettie and Jessie.

He married three times and had about fifteen children. His first wife was Kattie Chance, born in 1876. They had Millard, Gertrude, Birdie, Walter and Marion before Kattie died in 1907, aged about thirty one.

About 1908, a widower of thirty six with five children, John married Mary Elizabeth Owens, called Lizzie. She was seventeen, the eldest daughter of Wherry Owens, who farmed his own land at Old Texas in Monroe County. Their first child was born on 18 July 1909 at Old Texas and was named Wherry, after her father.

On 23 April 1910 the census taker found the family in Kings Precinct, Dallas County. John, 38, was farming rented land. Lizzie, 19, had been married two years and had one child. In the house were Millard, 15, who worked on the home farm, Gertrude, 12, Birdie, 9, Walter, 6, Marion, 5, and the baby Wherry.

By January 1920 the family had moved south to Walnut Hill, in Escambia County, Florida, just over the Alabama line. John was farming on his own account. Lizzie was 27. Gertrude, 21 and married, was back home, with Walter, 17, Marion, 14, and Lizzie's children Dudley, 10, Elmo, 7, Verdelia, 6, and Clem, 3. Dudley was the boy who had been Wherry in 1910, and Clem was Clinton.

More children followed: Ida about 1919 to 1921, James Howard about 1924 and Phyllis Lois on 23 June 1928 near Greenville. The marriage then broke. In April 1930 Lizzie was living at Awin, in Wilcox County, listed as divorced, with the six youngest children.

John married a third time, to Willie Dee Futch, born in 1901. Their daughter Velma was born in 1932. In April 1950 John A. Godwin, 78, and Willie were living in Butler County. He died at Greenville on 4 January 1952, aged 79, and was buried in the Awin Community Cemetery in Wilcox County. He shares a granite stone with Willie under the name GODWIN, his side cut "John A. 1872 - 1952".

If John Austin Godwin is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "John Austin Godwin (1872-1952)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/john-austin-godwin-1872-1952-26760a.