Obituaries
J. Arden Godshall, 89
October 03, 2024
J. Arden Godshall died on October 3, 2024, from pancreatic cancer. Arden was born on September 19,1935, the third of six sons of Willard and Esther Moyer Godshall. As a child and young teen, his family lived on a farm in Quakertown, before moving to Souderton, Pennsylvania, a large and close-knit Mennonite community. In 1954, he married Evelyn Alderfer, and they began their remarkable journey around the United States and the world. In 1956, while performing voluntary service as a conscientious objector in New Hampshire, they welcomed the first of their four children, Deena. Kim Loren was born two years later during a brief sojourn in Pennsylvania.
Arden then became a volunteer pastor, tasked with starting a Mennonite church in a small village in Vermont. In order to support his growing family, Arden began working as a water well driller in the granite hills and mountains of Vermont. During this time, Rikki was born in neighboring New Hampshire.
Arden decided that he wanted to become an ordained minister in the Mennonite church. Because he dropped out of school long before completing high school, as was the practice in his community, he needed first to go to college. In 1962, the Godshall family moved to Goshen, Indiana, where Arden attended Goshen College, and Deryl was born the following year. In 1967, the Mennonite mission organization contacted Arden. They were looking for a well driller to go to India to drill water wells in hard rock. Arden had just completed his first year of seminary, but he and Evelyn decided they would commit to going to India as volunteers for three years. In December, having never been farther afield than the Midwest, they flew to India with their children, aged 11, 9, 6 and 4.
Arden traveled all over India, which was in a severe drought at the time. He spent much time in remote villages, where women and children walked for miles to obtain water for their daily needs. Once he completed a well and hooked up a pump which gushed fresh water, the joy and thankfulness of those villagers was the ultimate reward. He spearheaded importing into India the Ingersoll Rand rig that he had used in Vermont. He established a company to employ and train Indians to operate and maintain the rigs, to go out and drill wells and to run this new business. UNICEF noticed his success and began to work with the Indian government to import more of the rigs for use all across India.
UNICEF approached Arden with a job offer to run this expanded effort. When he completed his 3-year commitment as a volunteer, he worked for UNICEF for two more years. An Englishman Arden worked with in India sent an email to Arden several days before he died, saying in part that his “contribution to the India water program was immense…No one else had your knowledge and experience of water well drilling with this…technology.” The drilling success of this huge UNICEF program “…convinced the government that hard rock drilling was a viable solution to the country’s water scarcity problems…you and your family can be enormously proud of your role in India’s development and ultimate self-sufficiency in drilled well technology.”
Shortly after leaving India, Arden accepted a job with Ingersoll-Rand and the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon. Arden’s job was to set up an operation in Yemen similar to what he had begun in India. Unfortunately, the civil war in Lebanon cut short that assignment and the effort was ended after two years. Arden spent several more decades working as a salesman for Ingersoll-Rand in West Virginia, Ohio, England, and finally Washington. In Washington, his sales territory was the Northwest and Alaska. He also continued to travel overseas for the company, to England, Italy, India, Yemen, China, South Africa and other countries.
Arden loved everything about living in Washington. He became an avid golfer in retirement and resisted moving “back East” because he would not be able to golf 10 months of the year. He loved to go salmon fishing on the Columbia River with his cousin. He would only drink Oregon and Washington wines and ordered oysters regularly from Oysterville, Washington. He pursued his lifelong passion and enormous talent for music by singing in his church choir and the “Touch of Class” choir. He loved his community at Columbia Presbyterian Church, and the staff and other volunteers at Peacehealth Hospital where he volunteered after Ev died. Until his death, Arden maintained regular contact with friends he made in all the places he ever lived or worked.
Arden did not leave many instructions regarding the aftermath of his death. He was emphatic that he did not want a funeral or memorial service. He did write that if anyone wanted to know how he wished to be remembered, this was the message: “My goal was to walk daily with God and use my talents and gifts to the honor and Glory of God. I endeavored to be a positive influence on everyone I met. I wish for my family and friends to know that I do not fear death itself. I think it is not the end, but a new beginning for me.”
Arden is survived by his children, Deena Godshall Roth, Rikki (Lynn) Godshall, and Deryl (Andrea) Godshall, and eight grandchildren: Keegan and Carraig Roth, Domenic Godshall, Melina and Brynn Godshall, D’Ari, Amaya and Linden Godshall, and a brother, Rodney Godshall. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Evelyn Alderfer Godshall and son, Kim Loren Godshall.
In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in Arden’s name to Mennonite Central Committee, mcc.org/what-we-do/initiatives
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Condolences to the Family
December 07, 2024
We were heartbroken to learn of Arden’s passing. He was one of those luminous souls you just want to keep around forever. I had the pleasure of singing with Arden in Touch of Class Chorale for many years, and it was always a joy to hear his beautiful voice enriching the bass section, and to see his gentle smile each week at rehearsal.
We sang our first holiday concert this evening, dedicated to Arden’s memory, and with Randall Thompson’s Alleluia we sang him to heaven.
Rest well, Arden. You will be missed.
October 18, 2024
Sorry to hear that Arden passed away. We all know that one day our lives, in this world, will come to an end. Jesus however has told us that whoever has placed his or her faith in Him will have everlasting live. I trust that Arden had this faith.
Anneke and myself have good memories at the family Godshall. That goes back to India, around 55 years. Arden having the direction of the choir in the Methodist Church. We still can hear his voice, for us just fantastic. He drilled a borewell at our Vicon factory site, and yes there he was also singing. Just great. Having a Sunday evening dinner at Woodlands together with the Fidge’s. The family coming in that small camper to our place in Emmeloord, just great
Our last meeting was on 11th June 2000. Celebrating my 56th birthday. Your Mam and Dad took us to mount Helena. Arden had arranged a special dessert for me in a restaurant.
Wonderful memories. Wishing you all God’s love and peace in these difficult days.
Anneke abd Piet Van Der Deen
Emmelord, The Netherlands
October 15, 2024
After reading this well written obituary, I realized again, as I have so many times before, that we don’t really get to know the life of the one who now is gone from us until reading their obituary.
I am Nancy, Arden’s first cousin (our mothers were sisters) and didn’t really get to know him until nearly 10 years ago. With me living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, it didn’t allow for visits that far away.
There were 2 visits, the last one being to honor our Aunt Margaret on her 90th birthday. Arden invited me to go home with him, saying he lived close to the airport. He really wanted to show off the many beautiful places near his home.
He also asked me to sightread a sheet music which he wanted to sing. His beautiful voice was defiant of his age, never suggesting he was in his 80s. I saw his garden and how he kept it, the perfectionist that he was, which produced abundance of crops.
After I was back in Ohio, Arden and I kept in contact with texts, emails, and phone calls. The last contact was Sept 18 when he told me he was diagnosed with that dreaded cancer, pancreatic.
As per his walk with the Lord, he said he would not let chemicals dictate his future days so proceeded without medical treatment.
“Arden walked with God, . . and God took him.”Gen.5:24, my words.
Nancy Messner
October 15, 2024
Arden and I were friends for more than fifty years. For three of those years, we were volunteers on neighbouring water projects in India, Arden in Bangalore, I, in Madurai. We met from time to time, comparing notes and experiences and telling stories amidst much laughter, two drillers talking driller’s nonsense late into the night (to Evelyn’s despair): one an eager-to-learn novice, the other, a professional in the fullest sense of the word. Arden taught me the fundamentals of drilling and I practised what he preached on my Madurai project, and later when we worked together in UNICEF on the India water programme.
In 1966, AFPRO (Action for Food Production), the umbrella agency for non-government organisations digging and drilling wells during India’s drought, began supporting start-up water projects across India, providing drill rigs funded by overseas charities to a dozen or so rural church missions. These projects were amateurish affairs run by well-intentioned individuals with little or no well drilling experience and they struggled with the sophisticated equipment. Recognising that missionary zeal alone was not enough to drill successful water wells, AFPRO sought professional expertise.
In 1967, Arden answered the call from his Mennonite Church to join AFPRO as a volunteer drilling consultant. The family flew to Calcutta (Kolkata), then travelled overnight by train to Ranchi, in drought-hit Bihar state, where Arden provided technical guidance on a struggling AFPRO water project. Reassigned seven months later, the family, and a new puppy, set off on a 2000-mile train journey to Bangalore (Bengaluru) in southern India, to work on another of AFPRO’s beleaguered drilling operations. It was here that Arden orchestrated the supply of an Ingersoll Rand T3 water well rig. In Arden’s experienced hands, the superbly engineered T3 drilled at a pace that no one could quite believe, proving the viability of hard rock bore wells to the Indian Government and encouraging UNICEF to invest in several of the same rig types for its assistance programme.
Arden joined UNICEF in 1970 as its first “Master Driller”. Others followed, but In truth, with his experience and track record, only Arden truly merited that sobriquet. Arden’s primary responsibility was to train drilling crews on the big T3s: twenty-five-ton behemoths with a capacity to drill six-inch diameter wells to six hundred feet in hard rock, primarily for piped water supplies. The T3 proved highly successful, consistently outperforming any other machine in the country, setting the gold standard for quality water wells, cost effectiveness and efficiency.
An imposing figure standing six foot four in his size twelve work boots, Arden was a forceful, articulate communicator, and a passionate trainer. Blessed with an exceptionally fine bass voice that resonated around the family home, rattling teacups when he sang, it could also strike terror into the heart of a driller who failed to sharpen a drill bit to the Godshall standard or who neglected a maintenance point on a T3.
A consummate perfectionist, sometimes cantankerous, and oftentimes uncompromising, Arden brought an enhanced level of professionalism to water well drilling in India, demonstrating the art of the possible every day. Arden played an influential role at the very start of India’s rural water supply revolution and its ultimate self-sufficiency in drilled well technology.
I learned from one of the very best and I grieve his passing.
Rest in Peace: Arden Godshall, Master Driller
Rupert Talbot, Canterbury, England
October 13, 2024
I had the privilege to sing with Arden in the Touch of Class Chorale for several years, and it was an honor to get to know the loving, kind and gentle soul that he was. He always showed such grace and support to his fellow choir members. I’ll never forget the trio we were in in a few seasons ago, and his encouragement when I doubted if I was performing well. He will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to his family. He led an exemplary life, and I know he is rejoicing with God, and singing in Heaven!
Anita Fortenberry
October 11, 2024
I first met Arden when he was in Beirut with Ingersoll-Rand and it was the beginning of a long friendship that lasted until his passing. We travelled together throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and England. Arden was one of the finest, kindest and most thoughtful people I had the privilege of known. Judy and I extend our sincerest condolences to Arden’s family. His passing has left a void in this world that Arden loved.
May God Bless his soul and may God Bless his family.
John & Judy Baxter
October 11, 2024
Such a wonderful gentleman was and is Arden Godshall! I had the distinct privilege of singing elbow-to-elbow with Arden in the bass section of our Columbia Presbyterian Church choir in Vancouver, WA. My wife and I also attended a number of concerts presented by the A Touch of Class Chorale, in which Arden sang here in the Vancouver community. His gentle spirit was always an inspiration to encounter. We at Columbia Presbyterian certainly miss Arden’s presence among us, and we pray blessings of comfort to his family and other loved ones.
David Green
