SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37

(By Senator Cline)

[Introduced February 14, 2020]

Requesting the Division of Highways name the intersection where US Route 52 intersects with WV Route 97, locally known as Godfrey’s Corner, in Hanover, Wyoming County, as “Godfrey’s Corner”.

Whereas, David L. Godfrey was born on November 18, 1944, in Hanover, West Virginia, and passed away on August 29, 2019; and

Whereas, When Mr. Godfrey was just a young man, he had an old school bus parked at the intersection of US Route 52 and WV Route 97 in Hanover and sold watermelons in the summertime; and

Whereas, In 1968, construction of the railroad began, and the family moved to where Godfreys Corner is today. In the summertime, they would pass the candy and chips and dip through the window and sell it on the open porch. Mr. Godfrey and his dad hauled hay and straw from Ohio in the wintertime and watermelons from Florida in the summertime; and

Whereas, As time went on, business increased, and the building grew larger.  Mr. Godfrey, his mother Leona Godfrey, wife Connie, and sister Sheila, opened the Godfreys Corner store permanently in January 1971. The store at Godfreys Corner is now run by Mr. Godfrey’s sister and her husband, Sheila and Gary St. Clair; and

Whereas, Mr. Godfrey was always a great talker and businessman. All of his life he wheeled and dealed on anything honest to make a dollar.  He was pretty good at it, but a few times he failed; and

            Whereas, To this day Godfreys Corner is used as a direction for people traveling, and people don’t refer to the intersection as routes 52 and 97, they refer to it as Godfreys Corner or just Godfreys, but everyone knows where it is and where you are talking about; and

            Whereas, Mr. Godfrey also served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate David L. Godfrey’s contributions to his country, state, and community; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the intersection where US Route 52 intersects with WV Route 97 in Hanover, Wyoming County, as “Godfrey’s Corner”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs 50 feet before the intersection on routes 52 and 97, one on each road before reaching the intersection, identifying the intersection as “Godfrey’s Corner”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.