Wilhelmina “Willy” Godwin

Wilhelmina “Willy” Godwin
1910 – September 18, 2002

Wilhelmina Godwin was born in 1910 to Charles Fischer Godwin and Lucia Fischer Godwin. She had a brother named John R. Godwin Jr. who she grew up with in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended public schools and completed up to two years of high school. Godwin’s father had a grocery store on Poppleton Street in which she would spend some of her time.

In 1932, when Godwin was 22 years old, she joined John C. Minor’s sales staff at its lunchroom and fancy-foods store on North Charles Street. She even helped make their famous fancy fruit baskets during Christmas time. During the Christmases throughout World War II, Godwin took orders for parcels to be sent overseas to service men and women. Godwin thoroughly enjoyed her time at Minor’s and she would even go to Marconi’s on Saratoga Street with her co-workers for a drink after closing time.

When Minor’s closed in the 1960s, Godwin applied for a job at the Woman’s Industrial Exchange since she knew the staff to be “such fine people.” She was hired and served as a sales clerk and greater for 40 years. She spent most of her time at the Exchange at the bakery counter in the consignment store. She not only sold brownies and cupcakes but also children’s clothing and other handmade items. When ringing customers up, she would always wrap up the items for them. Her favorite pastime was to scan the city’s newspaper for visiting celebrities and write them lunch invitations to dine at the Exchange. Godwin kept a guest book of celebrities who visited the Exchange, many of them being personally invited by her. Her biggest success was wooing Katharine Hepbirn to lunch in the 1970s. Other notable appearances were Colleen Dewhurst, who came to lunch and bought $900 worth of quilts, and Peggy Cass, who made a number of visits to see Godwin. Godwin was very popular herself, being the focus of a portrait by Christy Bergland titled Miss Willy Contemplates Eternity, a depiction of her sitting in the Woman’s Industrial Exchange building.

Godwin never married. She lived in Rodgers Forge with her parents and caught the No. 11 bus to work every morning. Godwin only agreed to take a cab once she was in her late 80s. She retired in 2000 and passed away on September 18, 2002, due to heart failure at Golden Age Nursing Home in Woodbine, Maryland. She was 93 years old. She was survived by nephews John R. Godwin Jr. and Paul Godwin.