One of the very highly regarded residents of Staunton is
the lady whose name opens this sketch. She has always lived in Macoupin
County, where she was born July 18, 1838, and is a daughter of a pioneer
settler, Daniel B. Sawyer.
Mr. Sawyer was born in Tyrrell County,
North Carolina, September, 24, 1813, and came to Macoupin County, Illinois,
when 18 years of age. He entered a large tract of government land in
Dorchester township, where he passed the remainder of his life, engaged in
agricultural pursuits, dying in 1881. He was a man who was regarded with
much respect, a quiet, law abiding citizen, and while not a member of the
Baptist Church, he was a regular attendant of it. He married Minervia
Scroggins, who was born September 30, 1816, in Middle Tennessee, near the
Alabama line, and died in Macoupin County, in 1882. They had 11 children,
namely: John, now deceased, who was a Baptist minister, a graduate of
Shurtleff College at Alton and of a New York theological seminary; Mary
Jane, widow of Frank Godfrey; Harrison, a graduate of Shurtleff College and
at one time a minister, who is farming in Oklahoma; Mrs. Harriet E.
Sinclair, Sarah E., Susan M., William T., Franklin P., Daniel E. and
Addinson, all deceased; and Dempsey B., who lives on the old homestead in
Dorchester township.
Mrs. Godfrey was reared to useful young
womanhood in Macoupin County, and attended the district schools. She married
Frank Godfrey who was born in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, January 14,
1834, and was 13 years of age when he accompanied his mother and sister, to
Macoupin County. He was a son of Joseph and Dinah (Sawyer) Godfrey. Mr.
Godfrey was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1871, when he removed to
Staunton, where he erected a large three-story brick residence and engaged
in hotel keeping, conducting a first class hostelry, known as the Godfrey
Hotel, until his death which took place August 28, 1880. Mrs. Godfrey
continued to operate a hotel until 1893, when it was destroyed by fire.
Mr. Godfrey was prominent in politics and was a stanch supporter of the
Democratic party. He held a number of local offices, and served as deputy
sheriff for some time.
Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey had three children, all
of whom survive: Cornelius, a banker in Staunton, who has been president of
the Board of Education, with the exception of two years, ever since it was
organized, about 15 years ago; E. E., the leading hardware merchant of
Staunton; and May, who is the wife of W. R. George, a prominent business man
of Staunton. For years the family has been one of prominence in the city and
closely identified with its business enterprises.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 503-504.
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