Arzelig Godest

*This name uses Grelic naming customs. The matronymic is* NiwGwenivar*, while the family name is* Godest*.*

**Arzelig NiwGwenivar Godest** (12 June 1918 – 15 September 2012) was a Maronan beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1936. She had previously been crowned Miss Ditrone 1935, and became the first woman from Ditrone to win Miss Marone.

After winning Miss Marone, Godest made a brief attempt at an acting career in Delmas, before returning to Ditrone to become a schoolteacher and live a private life.

## Early life and education

Godest was born on 12 June 1918 in Plougafou, a small town in Jaffrès, to parents Gwenhaël Godest (1892–1967) and Gwenivar Mandroux (1894–1981). Her father worked as a fisherman, while her mother was a bookkeeper for a local fishery. Godest was raised as one of five children; her siblings included Gwenina (1916–2010), Jagu (1921–2008), Guireg (1923–1997), and Maëlduina (born 1930). Godest was raised in a Ditronian-speaking family, and did not learn Maronan until beginning school.

Godest began her education in 1923, attending public schooling in Plougafou. While in school, Godest was said to be a strong student, and her teachers encouraged her to pursue an education rather than settle down as a housewife. She graduated from primary school in 1930, and later completed *collège* as well in 1933. After graduating, Godest enrolled in a *lycée professionnel* training women to pursue careers as schoolteachers. She took a break from her studies after winning Miss Marone 1936, but returned in 1938, and graduated in June 1939.

## Miss Marone 1936

In June 1935, Godest heard an advertisement on the radio for the upcoming Miss Ditrone pageant, and opted to apply along with her elder sister Gwenina. They were both accepted as contestants, and competed in the final the following month in Liris. Both Godest and her sister advanced into the top five, and were announced as the winner and first runner-up, respectively, leading to numerous requests for interviews from both local and national media outlets.

Godest later competed in Miss Marone 1936 in Delmas in December 1935. Godest went on to advance into the Top 7, and was ultimately crowned by outgoing titleholder Bérénice Brugière as Miss Marone 1936. During her reign, Godest traveled to more than 30 countries throughout the world as an ambassador of Marone, and additionally worked as a promotional model to promote the products of Henri Pétresse and other sponsors. She completed her reign as Miss Marone the following year, after crowning her successor at Miss Marone 1937.

After ending her reign, Godest settled in Delmas in an attempt to pursue a career as an actress. She appeared in a small role in the 1938 drama *The Good Die Young*, but made no other film appearances, as executives determined her Ditronian accent to be too thick.

## Personal life

After returning to Ditrone and completing her education in 1939, Godest began working as a schoolteacher in the town of Kerambrun, teaching primary school. In 1962, following the introduction of bilingual education, Godest began working at a bilingual primary school in Kerambrun, teaching students in the Ditronian language. She retired from her teaching career in 1983, but continued working part-time as a substitute teacher until 1998.

Godest married Maronan fisherman Marzhin Le Menn in 1942, after a one-year courtship. They had five children together: Gwendal (born 1944), Nolwenn (born 1946), Gwenaëlle (born 1947), Louri (born 1950), and Gweltaza (born 1952). Marzhin later died of natural causes in 2005, aged 88. The family resided in Loc-Grebevar.

## Death

Godest died in her sleep late in the night of 15 September 2012, aged 94, in her family home in Loc-Grebevar. Her body was discovered by her granddaughter and her granddaughter's husband the following morning, as they had planned to have breakfast with her at her home that morning. Her cause of death was determined to be natural causes.