OROVILLE – On Valentine’s Day, surrounded by family who describe him as steady, hardworking and quietly generous, longtime Oroville resident Bill Godwin turned 92.

Family said his life began in a one-room house with a dirt floor in Nocona, Texas, and stretched north to the orchards of Ellisforde, where Godwin would build a life rooted in hard work, innovation and community.

“He was born at home in a one-room house,” his son, Kimbo Godwin said. “He came from very humble beginnings.”

Godwin grew up in Texas and, right out of high school, volunteered to join the U.S. Army. He served his country without seeing combat, returning home with the kind of quiet discipline that would define much of his life.

In 1956, he married Eunice Buckmiller from Oroville. Together they began building a life that would eventually take them far from Texas and into the orchards of north Okanogan County.

“Once he arrived in Oroville, he never wanted to live in Texas again,” his family shared. “He loved the seasons and climate and the people of Oroville and Tonasket.”

For Godwin, Ellisforde wasn’t just a place on a map , it became the soil where his work ethic took root.

His son said he began farming apples in 1961, eventually operating Ellisforde Orchards. Over the years, he became known as a careful grower who took pride in his orchard.

“He thought that hard work solved all of your problems,” his family said. “He took great pride in having his orchard always mowed and looking good while raising the best apples he could.”

According to his family, Godwin was also an early innovator. Long before many others made the shift, Godwin installed permanent irrigation systems, moving away from aluminum sprinkler pipes and toward more efficient methods. It was a change that reflected both his practicality and his forward-thinking approach to farming.

In time, his involvement in agriculture expanded beyond the orchard rows. He helped start Sho-Pak Warehouse, which packed and sold apples, strengthening ties within the farming community and contributing to the region’s agricultural economy. He said he especially found interest in the hunting and fishing available in the area.

“The biggest surprise to me was how much water there was running through the orchards. I wasn’t used to seeing that much free water running,” said Bill Godwin.

His family said neighbors describe him as dependable, the kind of man who shows up with a tractor before you had to ask.

In the summer months, many of his friends come from Canada to visit him. Over the years, he became the unofficial handyman of the neighborhood, grading roads, plowing snow in winter and helping with home projects.

“He’s always grading roads, plowing roads in the winter and helping neighbors with various projects around their homes,” Godwin’s son said.

His steady presence extended beyond agriculture and machinery. During difficult seasons, crop challenges, harsh winters or personal hardships, his children said he remained grounded.

Family said the lessons he passed down were simple and consistent, “work hard, take care of what you’ve been given and don’t leave things undone.”

“My dad taught me good work ethic. He believed hard work solved all your problems,”said Kimbo Godwin.

According to family, Godwin was not all orchard rows and engine grease.

He restored classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s, bringing polished chrome and vintage curves back to life. And well into his 80s, he could be found on the ski slopes, carving turns down winter runs.

“He snow skied well into his 80s,” his family said. “He taught all of his kids and grandkids how to snow ski.”

Oroville shaped him, his family believes, by offering both opportunity and belonging. And in return, he shaped Oroville through apples packed and shipped, roads plowed after heavy snowfall and a reputation as a good farmer willing to help a neighbor.

Those who know him best say what stands out is not just what he accomplished, but how he carried himself along the way.

“Work as hard as you can, for as long as you can,” said Godwin.