Martha Lee Grider Godwin's Obituary
Martha Lee (Grider) Godwin passed away on February 9, 2026. She was born the only child of Minor Grider and Pearl (Powell) Grider. Her mother died of viral meningitis when Martha was seven months old. Raised by her father and loving aunts and uncles, she graduated from Warren High School in 1952. She came from a close extended family that still meets every June at the Grider Family Reunion. After High School she attended Tyler Commercial College in Tyler Texas before marrying her high school sweetheart, Vernoy Verdue Godwin Jr. (Vernie) on June 2, 1953.
They started their family while Vernie was attending Texas A&M University. During this time Martha worked as executive secretary for the architectural firm Caudill Rowlett and Scott in College Station Texas. After college, and after Vernie served 6 months active duty in the U.S. Army, they settled in Houston Texas. In 1965, while Vernie was working for Pan American Petroleum (later renamed Amoco), they agreed to be transferred to Tulsa Oklahoma.
They purchased the family home in Tulsa in 1965, where they both lived until their deaths. They raised five children, Sharon Marie (Doug Queen), Gini Lee (Charles Hudson), Kimberly Jean, Vernoy Verdue III (Trey)(Natalie), and Jon Watson. After learning she had five children, a coworker once asked if she was Catholic. Martha, without missing a beat, said “No, just a passionate Protestant”. Over the years, their family grew to include twelve grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.
Martha and Vernie were life-long Texas A&M sports fans. Before cable TV and ESPN, you could find them on a Saturday either at their kitchen table or sitting in their car in front of their house listening to their Aggie sports on the radio. They kissed after every Aggie touchdown.
Martha enjoyed bowling, where she often finished well enough to make it to regional tournaments. She also had a passion for the game of bridge; she played in bridge groups well into her 80’s. When cleaning out the family’s home, her children and grandchildren found numerous baggies of change, each with the date and what her bid was when she won. She also enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, crossword, Sudoku, and cryptoquote puzzles and game shows on TV. She was well loved by her neighbors and many of the schoolchildren in their neighborhood. She was “Momma Martha” to many of the neighborhood children.
Martha was 91 when she died. She is preceded in death by her husband Vernie, her daughters Sharon Queen and Kimberly White, daughter-in-law Melanie Godwin, and most of her first cousins. She leaves a legacy of love and values she instilled in her children, including a passion for college sports. She was much beloved and will be missed by many. Special thanks to Bobbie Harper for being her caregiver and friend these last two years.
Visitation will take place at Floral Haven Funeral Home on Friday, February 20th, 2026, at 5:00-7:00PM.
Services will follow on Saturday, February 21st, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
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