James Cleon Godwin Sr.

James Cleon Godwin Sr. was born on March 31, 1919, in Johnston County, North Carolina, the oldest child of James Marvin and Bessie Lee Stancil Godwin.

James Cleon Godwin met Nona Bell Creech when he was home on leave from the Army Air Corps. Cleon served as a Staff Sergeant with the 129th Army Air Force Base Unit from November 18, 1939, to October 15, 1945. The Creech family were neighbors of the Godwins.

Nona Bell Creech was born on December 27, 1923, near Selma, North Carolina, the daughter of John Luther and Elizabeth Sullivan Creech. She was the fifth of twelve children, with nine of her siblings being brothers. Growing up in a large family, Nona developed a fondness for housework and cooking, and with so many brothers, she was spared from farm labor.

Nona shared a charming anecdote from her childhood. The day she was told a new baby had arrived, she walked to the bedroom door and, without a glance at the infant, simply asked her mother, "Boy or girl?" Upon hearing "Boy," Nona promptly whirled around and stomped out, disappointed that it wasn't a sister. Another fond memory involved a race with her cousin Chloe down a path towards her house, past a persimmon tree. Nona, familiar with unripe persimmons, yelled, "Those are so good!" as she ran by. Chloe, however, stopped, bit into one, and immediately spit it out with a mouth-puckering grimace, leading to shared laughter between the two girls. Nona was the first in her family to graduate from high school in Selma, a moment of immense pride for her parents.

Her family connections extended to her first cousin, Ethel Hales Stancil, who was married to Ralph Stancil (of the George Branch). In 1942, when Ethel’s daughter Georgeanne was born and Ralph was traveling for work, Nona rode the train from North Carolina to Florida to stay with Ethel. Nona drove Ethel to the hospital and brought mother and baby home, staying for several months.

Ralph was so impressed with Nona's helpfulness that he wrote to his brother, Harold Lloyd Stancil, who was in the Navy, commending her.

Nona and her sisters, Viola and Ila Mae, initially met Cleon. Nona already had a date, so Cleon took Ila Mae out. The next time Cleon visited, Nona was on her way to a party, and he unexpectedly showed up there. After that night, Cleon made it clear his interest was in Nona, and neither dated anyone else.

Their romance quickly blossomed, and Cleon and Nona decided to marry. On Tuesday, August 10, 1943, they rode the bus from Selma to Wilson, where Nona purchased a light blue dress at the Mother and Daughter Store for the occasion. They then embarked on a 138-mile trip to Bennettsville, South Carolina, with Nona's cousin Dorothy Sullivan and her boyfriend, where both couples were married. Cleon and Nona returned to Camp Davis, North Carolina, by bus, as Cleon did not have a car, while the other couple enjoyed a honeymoon in the mountains.

When Cleon was transferred to Michigan, Nona, who was pregnant, went to stay with her in-laws, Bessie and Marvin Godwin. Cleon's parents had moved to Black Creek, near Wilson. Cleon's brother, Elmer, recently home from the Army, also lived there with his French wife, Dolly.

On November 5, 1944, Nona and Cleon's son, James “Jimmy” Cleon Godwin Jr., was delivered by Dr. Bell. Dolly fondly remembered Nona's kindness as she struggled to learn English, and a French-English dictionary became a shared resource for all of them. In early December 1944, Nona and Jimmy traveled by train, in a Pullman car, to join Cleon in Michigan.

Cleon, Nona, and Jimmy initially stayed with friends until they found their own apartment. Cleon's Army Air Corps duty involved towing targets for airplanes within the United States. He was discharged as a staff sergeant in October 1945. After his discharge, Cleon returned to Wilson County and rented a farm for a year. He then decided to leave farming, moving his family into the G.I. Barracks in Wilson, where many married couples, including Cleon's brother Elmer and his wife Dolly, resided for $25 per month.

Cleon then began working for P.L. Woodard and Company, a large hardware store.

Their family continued to grow with the birth of daughter Linda on March 8, 1947, followed by Sandra Kay on August 13, 1951. (Dolly's son Michael was born on August 19, 1947, around the same time).

When all their children were in school, Nona took a part-time job at a jewelry store in Wilson. The family eventually moved to a house at 503 West Kenan Street in Wilson.

Tragedy struck on July 6, 1960, when James Cleon Godwin Sr. died suddenly of a heart attack at 11:30 a.m. at the P.L. Woodard Company where he was employed as a salesman.

He was only 41 years old, and his brother Billy was the informant for his death certificate. Cleon is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Wilson, North Carolina.

With Cleon's passing, Nona became the primary provider for her family. She diligently pursued business classes at Atlantic Christian College in Wilson during the day while her children were at school. Two years later, she began working for an insurance company. Initially, she found this work unfulfilling and transitioned to selling automobile tags for the State of North Carolina. However, Nona eventually returned to the insurance industry, where she found her true calling. She took numerous classes and attended many insurance schools over the years, becoming a highly successful licensed insurance agent at Smith and Smith, an agency that sold all types of insurance: Auto, Health, Home, and Life. By the time of her retirement in 1996, at the age of 73, Nona was the office manager and head secretary.

Nona found love again and married Grover Elmer Pope on April 20, 1975. Elmer passed away on August 10, 1998. Later, Nona married Royce Ray Matthews on August 22, 2001, who died on August 8, 2007.

Throughout her life, Nona maintained a close bond with Dolly, her sister-in-law, who was more like a sister and best friend. They attended the same church, First Free Will Baptist Church of Wilson, and after Royce's death, Nona and Dolly frequently had Sunday dinner together and spoke on the phone several times a day.

Nona Bell Creech Godwin Matthews passed away on Saturday, October 30, 2010. Earlier that year, she had suffered a stroke and was residing at Carillon Assisted Living in Hillsborough, North Carolina, close to her daughters Linda and Sandy.

A week before her death, she enjoyed dinner and attended a quilt show.

She then experienced a fall and was admitted to Chapel Hill Medical Center due to concerns about her heart. A stent was successfully inserted, bringing a sense of optimism, but Nona died early Saturday morning. She was 86 years old and was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Wilson, North Carolina, beside James Cleon Godwin Sr.

Nona will be remembered for her kind and loving disposition, her thoughtfulness, soft-spoken nature, and her unwavering willingness to help others.