Elizabeth Marie Godwin

Elizabeth Marie Kogelschatz Godwin (Aunt Fifi), passed away Monday March 6, 2023 at a local hospital. She was 47 years old.

A celebration of her life will be held at 1:30 pm Friday, March 10, 2023 in Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Elizabeth will be laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30pm prior to the service at the funeral home.

Beth was born April 1, 1975 in Dothan, Alabama to John Godwin and the late Pam Godwin. She lived in the Wiregrass area most of her earlier years and was a 1993 graduate of Rehobeth High School. After high school, she attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile where she got her undergraduate degree and then her Master's degree in American Sign Language Interpretation from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. On July 21, 2000, she married Joshua Godwin in Dothan, AL. Beth spent many years working at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind as an interpreter and teacher. She also taught elementary-age students at Harvest Christian School and had many students who loved her dearly. Beth loved vibrant colors and lived a vivid life to match. She was an April Fools baby, and the first person she fooled was her dad, who expected her to be a boy and to be born much later in the day. Beth was known for her joy, her love, her sense of fun and adventure, and her deep faith and love for her Lord Jesus. She loved all things colorful and beautiful, especially butterflies and summer flowers. She especially loved spending time at the beach with her family and her sister, Lori Bighems. Beth was a meticulous organizer and was amazing at planning spectacular trips for her family. She took amazing care of Rhema, her daughter, creating opportunities for her to adopt sea turtles at the beach, take special swimming lessons, dance lessons, and gymnastics that were adapted just for her. Beth knew that Rhema was a miracle child, and she created opportunity to share Rhema's story and testimony with the world. Beth was passionate about making the world accessible for Rhema; she wanted Rhema to know here was nothing she could not do. She attended Dothan Christian Fellowship and was the administrator for Pastors David and Karen Hale. Beth loved her church family and her "tribe" very much—she was the director of the Children's Ministry at DCF, and during the 2020 shutdown, Beth recorded and posted many videos for the little ones so that the children could continue to connect with each other and the Lord. She was passionate about teaching children and building them up to be strong servants of God. Beth had strong relationships with her church family, encouraging friends in the Lord, building them up when they were down, and bringing joy into every circumstance.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Pamela Godwin; her grandparents, Helen and Lorenzo Godwin and Bevery and Jim Geyer.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Joshua Godwin; her children, Matthew Kogelschatz, Steven Kogelschatz, and Rhema Elizabeth Victoria Godwin-Kogelschatz; her father, John Godwin; her siblings, Michael (Heather) Godwin, Sarah Godwin, Rachel Godwin, and Lori Bighems; three grandchildren, Liam, Michael, and Jordan; two nieces, Lydia and Sanako; and her nephew, Andrew.

Thank you to the wonderful Critical Care Unit Nurses who attended Elizabeth at Southeast Health, especially Nurse Quanda who took amazing care of Elizabeth and her family, and Dr. Allison Harriet (Dr. Hugs). Thank you to Dr. Paola Bass who has helped and blessed the Godwin family so much. Thank you to all the church families from Dothan Christian Fellowship, Church at the Crossing, and New Covenant Christian Fellowship and all her friends who loved her so well. There are not enough words to give enough thanks to Fakeisha Carroll, Nikenya "GinGin" Carroll, and Torey Engram who have been a gift from God to the family. Their amazing care helped to give two years of Beth's life to the family. They helped her to talk, sing, and laugh again, and they continue to bless and lift up the family with care and love.