Willetta Goddin Hinkle 1917-2002 Obituary
Willetta Goddin Hinkle, 85, a long-time educator, artisan and community leader, a resident of 214 Diamond St., Elkins, and for a short time a resident of Good Samaritan Center at Belington, departed this life at 3:09 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2002, in Davis Memorial Hospital, following a brief illness. Death was attributed to pneumonia.
She was born Jan. 20, 1917, at Stalnaker Run, near Elkins, a daughter of the late Thomas Jefferson Goddin and Albina Hattie Stalnaker Goddin. She was one of eight children who grew up on a farm during the Great Depression and attended the nearby Vandergrift School and entered Elkins High School, from which she graduated in 1935.
Education was highly valued at the Goddin household and seven family members became teachers, artisans and musicians. Following graduation from high school she received an bachelor of arts degree in education from Davis & Elkins College and later received two master’s degrees, one in education and one in art, from Case Western Reserve and did other studies at West Virginia University, Morris Harvey College and Kent State University.
During her 33-year teaching career, she taught at Bemis, Marstiller, Durbin, and Helvetia grade schools before relocating to Chesterland, Ohio, where she lived and taught in Geauga County Schools for 11 years. She returned to Randolph County, where she taught art at Elkins Junior High School and later served as an itinerant art instructor at North, First Ward and Central School in Elkins.
Besides her many educational interests and accomplishments, she was active in community service. After retirement, she served for one term during the 1980s as a member of the Randolph County Board of Education, where she promoted improvements in the instructional program and facilities.
Hinkle, who friends said was affectionately known as “Pudge”, was identified in her high school yearbook as one whose “art work would bring fame to her and her alma mater.” As an artist and musician, she presented hundreds of classes, demonstrations and exhibitions over the years in balladry, spinning and weaving, basketry, bobbin lacing, vegetable dyeing, beeswax candle dipping, paper sculpture, origami, hand-formed pottery from native clay, corn husk and pine needle projects, tatting and quilting.
She was affiliated with the Augusta Heritage Arts Program at Davis & Elkins College and an instructor, coordinator and supporter, since its inception in 1972. She assisted in initiating the Elderhostel Program at the Augusta Heritage Center.
She was a member of Otterbein United Methodist Church, where she was active in the choir, youth fellowship program, Circle 2 and as a Sunday School Teacher for Irons Bible Class. She was a leader and founder of the Hi-fi 4-h Club and active with the West Virginia University Extension Service and the Marstiller-orlena CEOS Club.
Following the death of her sister, Sadavioe, also a D&E alumna, a large collection of Lincoln memorabilia collected over a period of 70 years by her sister, was donated in 1996 to D&E College by Willetta.
In March 2000, she was recognized as Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce for her many contributions to the community heritage arts and crafts.
Hinkle served as a regent of John Hart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as director of the Randolph County Historical Society, where she assisted with the relocation of the old Stalnaker log house to the society’s property in Beverly. Her interest in history led her to co-author a book titled “School Memories” a book about school life in Randolph County’s many rural schools.
She was also affiliated with Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Seneca Trail Arts Guild, National League of American Pen Women, West Virginia State Archeology Society, West Virginia Women Writers, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation, Center for Evangelical United Brethren Heritage, Stalnaker Family Assoc., Elkins-randolph County Public Library, Mountain State Press, Randolph County Recreational Board, trustee for the Gilman Cemetery and the Chenoweth Cemetery, Randolph and County and West Virginia Association of Retried School Employees, American Association of Retired Persons, Elkins-randolph County Senior Center, the Good Shepherd Board of Directors and the Davis & Elkins Alumni Association
She is survived by an older sister, 101-year-old Rebecca Marstiller; one son, Dr. Andrew Lee Hinkle, Columbus, Ohio; grandsons, Aaron Henry Lee Hinkle and Andrew Ralph Hinkle, with Erika Galvao, new parents of great-grandson, Nickolas, living in Brazil and granddaughter, Hillary and husband, Jack Joyce, parent of great-grandson, Sam; and great-granddaughter, Claire, Maryland; and several nieces and nephews.
She married Don Lee Hinkle on Dec. 7, 1942.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Rebecca Tamasin Hinkle, who died at birth; two brothers, Robert L. and Willard G. Goddin; four sisters, Opal M. Henline, Waunita B. Kappal, Gwendeline Boone and Sadavioe Goddin.
Friends will be received at Lohr-barb-vance Funeral home from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. Final rites will be conducted at the funeral home chapel Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Donald L. Lockhart, the Rev. Leon Hevener and the Rev. Doyle Payne will officiate and interment will follow at the Brethren Cemetery at Junior. The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of contributions to the American Cancer Society, Randolph County Unit, in care of Polly O’Kernick, 105 Wilson Lane, Elkins, W.Va. 26241.
Willetta Goddin Hinkle 1917-2002 Obituary
