Clarice Ann Godfrey
COLUMBIA — Clarice Ann Godfrey started playing piano when she was only eight years old.
Her older brother, Billy Mann, remembers this because he used to drive her to lessons when he was 16.
Ms. Godfrey’s music interests were varied.
“I’d say a lot of it was church music and old sheet music they had in the '50s and '60s,” Mann said. “She had a quite a few that she liked of those.”
Ms. Godfrey of Fulton died Monday, Aug. 22, 2011. She was 67.
She was born June 24, 1944, in Rowena to Marion Lester and Clarice Maude O’Bryan Mann.
As a child, she took a trip every year with her parents and siblings, visiting places like Colorado and Texas.
“We just had a kind of normal growing up together,” Mann said.
Ms. Godfrey took her love of music to Dripping Spring Christian Church in Columbia, where she spent more than 25 years as a piano player. She’d play hymns and specials with the choir and perform duets with the organist. Ms. Godfrey, a soprano, also sang solos.
“I know God gives everybody at least one talent, and it was definitely music,” Sally Erickson, pastor of Dripping Spring Christian Church, said. “She seemed to be energized by the music.”
In addition to being a musician, Ms. Godfrey worked for several companies, including State Farm Insurance, SEMCO, Data Processing and J.C. Penney Co.
She also enjoyed shopping for deals.
“She had a good eye for jewelry,” Erickson said. “She loved to bring things that she’d gotten for bargains and ask if it was good jewelry.”
Ms. Godfrey was married to Richard Ruble, Gene Shaw, Martin Staton, Dalton Cruse and Terry Godfrey.
She is survived by her three children, Laura Winters of St. Louis, April Cockrell and her husband Jerry Jr. of Columbia, and Randall Shaw of Columbia; her brother, Mann of Lentner; and grandchildren Danielle Graef of Gainesville, Fla., Erica Graef of Columbia, Ill., Katelyn and Kortney Cockrell of Columbia, Junelle Shaw of Cuba, N.Y., and Jacob Becker of Fulton.
Her parents, brothers Larry and Bobby Mann and sister Rosalyn Mann died earlier.
Services are at 11 a.m. Saturday at Dripping Spring Christian Church, 2701 W. Dripping Springs Rd., with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. Erickson will conduct the services. Burial will be at Dripping Spring Cemetery.
Memorial donations can be made to Dripping Spring Christian Church, c/o Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel, 1610 N. Garth Ave.
