Remembering Ken Godfrey

It was a Monday in May 1978 when I started a new job as sports editor of the Lamar Democrat. My only previous newspaper experience was nine months as the editor of the Newton County News, perhaps the worst editor southwest Missouri had ever seen.

For some reason, the Democrat's editor, Lou Nell Clark, saw something in me that I didn't even know was there.

When I arrived just after the building was opened that morning, the composing room foreman Russell Pierson showed me how to take national and state sports copy off the Associated Press ticker, which was a great help, but I didn't want to have my first day as sports editor pass without having any Lamar sports on my page.

I asked Russell who I would need to get in touch with to check on what was going on in Lamar sports.

That's how inexperienced I was.

"Don't worry about it," he said. He glanced at his watch and said, "Ken Godfrey will be here in about a half hour."

I had no idea who Ken Godfrey was, but a half hour later I knew exactly what he was- a lifesaver.

That was the first of many mornings that Ken, who was summer recreation director for the city of Lamar, walked into the Democrat office with the scorebooks for every game that was played at the city's parks the previous evening.

My first sports page was filled with local sports news, thanks to Ken Godfrey.

While he made his daily pilgrimage to the Democrat office to help the newspaper, which was a daily at the time, it wasn't the main reason.

Ken Godfrey brought those scorebooks so the kids would receive recognition.

It was my first introduction to a truth that many community newspapers have forgotten- names are news.

My job at the Democrat fell victim to budget cuts after eight months and by the time I returned to the newspaper as managing editor in November 1982, Ken Godfrey had moved on. The next time I ran into him, he was working as an aide and coach for the Jasper R-5 School District, an association that continued in one form or another until his death Sunday at age 78.

While covering Jasper sports, first for the Democrat and later for the Carthage Press, I had many opportunities to see Godfrey in action.

He not only showed infinite patience while working with the students who were fortunate enough to be on his teams, but he also served as a goodwill ambassador for the Jasper R-5 School District.

What Ken Godfrey meant to the district was detailed nicely in a post today on the Jasper High School/Junior High Booster Club Facebook page:

Jasper School District lost a truly remarkable man yesterday. 

Coach Godfrey dedicated so much of his time, heart, and life to our schools, touching countless lives along the way. As an aide, he worked closely with numerous students, offering patience, encouragement, and steady support each day.

He coached multiple sports over the years, mentoring and inspiring so many young athletes. You could always find him at any sporting event Jasper was participating in, faithfully cheering on the kids and the teams. He even spent countless hours each summer watering the football field, quietly working behind the scenes to make sure everything was ready for Friday nights.

For years, he greeted students and families as our crossing guard, always with a warm smile and a kind word. He was a true blessing to our community, and he will be deeply missed.