By Renee O’Qunn
Ever since Johnnie Godfrey can remember he has always loved cars. His dream car a 2002 Ford Mustang GT with a 4.6 V8 engine, color mineral gray, became a semi-finalist in an online photo contest. A picture of his car became a semi finalist and made it in a national Mustang parts catalog.
JOHNNIE GODFREY WITH HIS 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT
Johnnie Godfrey’s Mustang becomes semi finalist and appears in national catalog
Johnnie stated, “I got excited when I noticed the contest from the parts catalog. The winner of the photo contest would be featured on the front cover. I entered my car in the catalog photo contest.”
California Muscle Parts and Accessories catalog sponsored the contest. People were able to vote for their favorite Mustang online. He took a lot of pictures of his car and was careful to get some great shots and then he entered the pictures in the contest. His wife, Cathy put it on Facebook to let everyone know about the contest and so they could vote for his car online. Johnnie’s car a semi-finalist and is featured with other semi-finalists on the back cover of the 2011-12 parts catalog. Even though his car didn’t make it on the front cover, he is still delighted that out of the many other cars that had entered his car received sufficient enough of votes to make it in the national catalog.
“I want to thank the people who voted. I appreciate everyone that voted,” Johnnie said.
The parts catalog sent him three copies of the catalog. He gave one of the copies to Kevin Carter, because he bought the car from him.
“I always wanted a Mustang, he stated. I wish I could have had one when I was younger.” To Johnnie there is nothing like a Mustang. He also loves driving it. He has had a lot of work done to it. Cars have always peaked his interest and he finds enjoyment in fixing them up. He has owned several antique cars and a truck and entered them in car shows. His antique cars have won several competitions. “The only time I would drive them was to the car shows.”
Johnnie really loves to talk to people and doesn’t meet a stranger. He works at the Baxley Post Office. He is the Senior Sales Associate (clerk), and has worked at the post office for 34 years. “I love my job, because I get to meet people. I am a people person,” he said. The first person they may see is Johnnie with his noticeable white hair, white mustache and beard. Standing behind the counter he greets people with a friendly beaming smile and rosy cheeks. He can’t resist talking to people that come into the post office and said, “I may be the only person that that person sees all day.” It makes him very happy to talk to people.
My grandfather was the postmaster at the Graham Post Office. Some people probably don’t remember Graham ever having a post office,” he said. “I always thought my grandfather’s job was interesting. I wanted to work at a post office when I grew up,” he said smiling with wide-eyed excitement. “I always enjoyed watching my grandfather work.
He would get the mail ready and like clock work the train would arrive at the post office at the exact time and grandfather would place the mail on a pole and stick the mail out to the train and when the train came up they would grab the mail and take it to Baxley.
My grandfather also owned and ran a little store in Graham. There was a window where he sold stamps in the back of the store,” he said.
“Back then you really had to know someone before you could get hired at the post office. They use to advertise the test dates for the post office in The News-Banner.
I saw an ad in the classifieds so I decided to take the test.” He passed the test and was hired part-time at the Baxley Post Office. He worked both part-time at the post office and part time at The Baxley News-Banner and that was about 23 or 24 years ago.
Johnnie was raised in Baxley and is a 1968 graduate of Appling County High School.
He is married to Cathy Turner Godfrey and her parents were the late Dudley and Fannie Turner. The couple raises dogs. They have pekingese, maltese and chihuahuas, and have sold dogs to people all over the United States. He has a special dog that he is extremely fond of named, Star. She is a blond pekingese with one white spot on the top of her head. She already had a name when they got her, and probably got her name because of the white spot on her head. An older couple owned her. They died and there was no one to take care of her. Johnnie and Cathy ended up adopting her.
His father was the late Robert L. Godfrey (died in 1988), and his mother was the late Lillie O’Quinn Godfrey Stewart. Robert and Lillie had three girls, Cheryl, Linda and Janice and two boys, Johnnie and James. Johnnie’s brother, James is the Chief of Police for the City of Baxley. Lillie married Choice M. Stewart in 2000. His mother, Mrs. Lillie died in 2011.
Johnnie also likes working in his yard. He takes pride in a very well kept yard. He was overjoyed when he found out his yard was chosen for Garden of the Month a couple of year’s ago.
“I don’t really like it too much now, because it’s been so hot.”
Even when he was young he was always fixing up cars. “I was always adding something or changing the look of my car some how. His dad would ask him, “You can’t just leave something like it is can you?”
And his reply would be, “no.” If you happen to see Johnnie riding around town in his Mustang give him a wave and if you happen to stop him he will talk to you.
California Muscle Parts and Accessories catalog sponsored the contest. People were able to vote for their favorite Mustang online. He took a lot of pictures of his car and was careful to get some great shots and then he entered the pictures in the contest. His wife, Cathy put it on Facebook to let everyone know about the contest and so they could vote for his car online. Johnnie’s car a semi-finalist and is featured with other semi-finalists on the back cover of the 2011-12 parts catalog. Even though his car didn’t make it on the front cover, he is still delighted that out of the many other cars that had entered his car received sufficient enough of votes to make it in the national catalog.
“I want to thank the people who voted. I appreciate everyone that voted,” Johnnie said.
The parts catalog sent him three copies of the catalog. He gave one of the copies to Kevin Carter, because he bought the car from him.
“I always wanted a Mustang, he stated. I wish I could have had one when I was younger.” To Johnnie there is nothing like a Mustang. He also loves driving it. He has had a lot of work done to it. Cars have always peaked his interest and he finds enjoyment in fixing them up. He has owned several antique cars and a truck and entered them in car shows. His antique cars have won several competitions. “The only time I would drive them was to the car shows.”
Johnnie really loves to talk to people and doesn’t meet a stranger. He works at the Baxley Post Office. He is the Senior Sales Associate (clerk), and has worked at the post office for 34 years. “I love my job, because I get to meet people. I am a people person,” he said. The first person they may see is Johnnie with his noticeable white hair, white mustache and beard. Standing behind the counter he greets people with a friendly beaming smile and rosy cheeks. He can’t resist talking to people that come into the post office and said, “I may be the only person that that person sees all day.” It makes him very happy to talk to people.
My grandfather was the postmaster at the Graham Post Office. Some people probably don’t remember Graham ever having a post office,” he said. “I always thought my grandfather’s job was interesting. I wanted to work at a post office when I grew up,” he said smiling with wide-eyed excitement. “I always enjoyed watching my grandfather work.
He would get the mail ready and like clock work the train would arrive at the post office at the exact time and grandfather would place the mail on a pole and stick the mail out to the train and when the train came up they would grab the mail and take it to Baxley.
My grandfather also owned and ran a little store in Graham. There was a window where he sold stamps in the back of the store,” he said.
“Back then you really had to know someone before you could get hired at the post office. They use to advertise the test dates for the post office in The News-Banner.
I saw an ad in the classifieds so I decided to take the test.” He passed the test and was hired part-time at the Baxley Post Office. He worked both part-time at the post office and part time at The Baxley News-Banner and that was about 23 or 24 years ago.
Johnnie was raised in Baxley and is a 1968 graduate of Appling County High School.
He is married to Cathy Turner Godfrey and her parents were the late Dudley and Fannie Turner. The couple raises dogs. They have pekingese, maltese and chihuahuas, and have sold dogs to people all over the United States. He has a special dog that he is extremely fond of named, Star. She is a blond pekingese with one white spot on the top of her head. She already had a name when they got her, and probably got her name because of the white spot on her head. An older couple owned her. They died and there was no one to take care of her. Johnnie and Cathy ended up adopting her.
His father was the late Robert L. Godfrey (died in 1988), and his mother was the late Lillie O’Quinn Godfrey Stewart. Robert and Lillie had three girls, Cheryl, Linda and Janice and two boys, Johnnie and James. Johnnie’s brother, James is the Chief of Police for the City of Baxley. Lillie married Choice M. Stewart in 2000. His mother, Mrs. Lillie died in 2011.
Johnnie also likes working in his yard. He takes pride in a very well kept yard. He was overjoyed when he found out his yard was chosen for Garden of the Month a couple of year’s ago.
“I don’t really like it too much now, because it’s been so hot.”
Even when he was young he was always fixing up cars. “I was always adding something or changing the look of my car some how. His dad would ask him, “You can’t just leave something like it is can you?”
And his reply would be, “no.” If you happen to see Johnnie riding around town in his Mustang give him a wave and if you happen to stop him he will talk to you.
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