Mary Godwin Ward, 95, of Milton, FL died on Saturday, July 29, 2017. Mrs. Ward was born near Hartford, AL and lived as a youth with her family in Jay, FL. Behind her love of family, her avid interests were New Orleans Dixieland Jazz and Big Band music, gardening, traveling and shopping.

After Mrs. Ward and her late husband married, they began their business by hand-screening gravel onto the back of their truck from Escambia River. In time, they founded a successful gravel dredging company around lakes in the Flomaton, AL and Century, FL vicinity. Gravel from their enterprise left by rail and was used in many curbs and construction projects in Pensacola and its naval bases. When they moved to East Milton in 1952, they co-developed what is now called Petersen Point along Blackwater Bay.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, James Ethelbert Ward; her mother, Media Jane Fussell Godwin; her father, Parmer Rand Godwin; brothers, R.D. Godwin (Irene), Oree Godwin (Hazel), Bennie Earl Godwin (Bernice), Glen Godwin (Lena), infant Felton Godwin, Parmer Winfred Godwin (Joyce) and sisters, Johnnie Ruth Jenkins (Joe) and Ruby Jean McCaskill (Jack).

She is survived by a brother, Robert Godwin (Kathryn); a sister, Melba Heisler (Billy) and 17 nieces and nephews.

Visitation with family will be 11:00am followed by the Funeral Service at 11:30am on Friday, August 4, 2017, at the chapel of Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, 2276 Airport Blvd., Pensacola FL.

Burial will follow at Serenity Gardens Cemetery at 6208 Stewart St., Milton, FL.

Active pallbearers will be Taylor Crabtree, Steven Godwin, Matthew Adams, Brian Johnson, Michael Nowling and Gary Mooneyham.

Honorary pallbearers will be nieces and nephews; Patricia Stephens, Betty Vasko, Steve Vasko, Jean Renfro, Max Jenkins, Kitty Jenkins, Jackie McCaskill, Wayne Godwin and Patsy Settles.

A heartfelt appreciation goes to her devoted caregivers, Rhonda Pfeifer, Rachel Ketcham and Brenda Denham.