Mrs. Mattie B. Goff Obituary (1938

RIDGEVILLE, SC - In profound sorrow we announce the passing of Mrs. Mattie B. Goff, 81 of Ridgeville, SC., who entered into eternal rest on Saturday evening, April 18, 2020 at her residence surrounded by her family. Mrs. Goff is the widow of Mr. Levi Goff. *** In lieu of flowers the family of Mrs. Mattie B. Goff request that monetary donations be made to the Bethel A.M.E. Church, Ridgeville, SC, Scholarship Fund (P.O. Box 8, Ridgeville, SC. 29472) and the Ridgeville Branch of the NAACP (P.O. Box 21, Ridgeville, SC. 29472) in memory of Mrs. Mattie B. Goff.***** ***ATTENTION DUE TO THE RECENT CDC (COVID-19) GUIDELINES ON SOCIAL DISTANCING AND NO ASSEMBLIES OF OVER 10 PEOPLE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE LIMITED TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY. THE FAMILY APPRECIATES YOUR UNDERSTANDING*** The Life Reflection of Mrs. Mattie B. Goff On August 26, 1938, God brought forth one of his earthly angels, Mattie Bell (Claire) Williams who was also affectionately called Cleo by several of her nieces and nephews. Mattie was born and raised in Holly Hill, South Carolina, to her late parents Roy and Mary Sherman Williams. Six siblings were stillborn; therefore, Mattie was the first to live as the 7th child. Mattie's responsibilities started at three years old by caring for her siblings while her parents worked in the fields. Mattie was educated in Orangeburg and Dorchester Counties at Roberts Junior High School and Harleyville-Ridgeville High School. During her high school years, she played on the basketball team as a center.Mattie had the gift of dreams and seeing things before they happened. God showed her in a dream the man she would marry. He came to the field where Mattie was working and picked some cotton on her row to put in her sack. She played it cool; however, on January 23, 1957, Mattie B. Williams and Levi Coppy Goff were joined together in holy matrimony. Mattie B. Goff has been a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Ridgeville, South Carolina for over fifty years. She served in various capacities including a member of the Senior Choir, Lay Organization, Women's Missionary Society. She was the Class Leader of Class #31 for twenty-six years, Chair of the Kitchen Committee, Chaplin of the Food Bank Committee, and the Chair of Evangelism Committee where she began a Daily Bread campaign in 1996 distributing over 250 books quarterly until December 2019. Mrs. Goff was employed in Dorchester School District Four as a bus driver, Fox and Hounds Restaurant as a chef (known for her fried mushrooms and prime rib). Additionally, she retired from the Coastal Center as the supervisor of Environmental Services after twenty-one years of service. Then she went on to volunteer as a foster grandparent for seven years at the Coastal Center. During this time, she was crowned as queen of the 2010 Foster Grandparent Spring Site Pageant! Afterwhich, Mattie went on to volunteer at Clay Hill Middle School for several years through the Dedicated and Diligent Service Program (DADS). Additionally, Mrs. Goff was an active member of the Charleston District Lay Organization of the A.M.E. Church. She served as an Executive Committee Member of the Ridgeville Branch of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Mattie valued higher education. One of her passions was to raise scholarship funds for children in the community. Mattie enjoyed missionary work, gardening, fishing, listening to gospel music, and cooking her specialties to bring her family together. She loved to travel! Just to name a few, she took a bus across the country to El Paso, Texas, visited the Blue Ridge Mountains, site-seeing in Washington, D.C, Miami, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, and cruised to the Bahamas and Hawaii. Family members who preceded Mattie's death, one daughter May Pernell Brooks; siblings: Roy Williams, Jr., Moses Sherman, and Bill Williams. Mattie leaves to cherish her memory: her children; Randolph (Eldree) Edwards, Patricia G. Parker, Mary Goff Bigelow, Naomi (Anthony) Sampson, and Quenetta (Barry) Goff Slaughter. Honorary children; Diann Aiken, Betty Doctor, Kendal Goff, Brenda Johnson, Sidney Aiken and Geraldine Jones. Siblings; Johnny Williams, Josephine Dingle, Samuel (Sarah) Williams, Sr., Lula (Joseph) White. Sisters-in-Law; Fannie Williams and Lula Williams. Uncles: Rev. Mark (Mary) Williams, Fred (Lillie) Williams, Charlie (Josey) Williams. Aunt; Anna Williams. Life-long friend; Agnes Earline Pearson. Grandchildren; Randy Superior (Nicole) Edwards, Tysen Unique Edwards, Jessica Cummingham, Crystal Devine Edwards, Justin Elite Edwards, US Air Force, Adrian Trent (Gail) Bennett, Benjamin A. (Cynthia) Parker, Jr., Amos Matthew (Jonea) Givens, Jr., Shannon Genwright, Andrea Marie Bigelow, Erin Loreal Bigelow, Mario (Dina) Sampson, Na'Dirah Gest, Malcolm (Candance) Slaughter, Keith A. White, II, Isaiah Levi White, U.S. Army. Great-grandchildren; Stephen, Stephon, Ayannah, Destiny, Aniyah, Ellington, Tatam, Sirus, Tysen Jr., Malik, Malachi, Nayah, Kennedy, Ebony, Shana, Benjamin III, D'Andre (Kiara), Chance, Jada, Lalia, Aaliyah, Emma, Elijah, Elaina, Jordyn, Bryson, Iris, Joseph. Great-great-grandchildren; Anaziyha, Stephen Jr., Mary, Jordan, and Trey. Special Acknowledgement; Gloria Goff and Georgianna Mitchell. A host of nieces, nephews, cousins other relatives and friends.