Griffith, Harold Sherman 1912-2006

GRIFFITH, GRANNIS, MATHER, KUEHL, BREITSPRECHER, STEBOR, PAA

Posted By: Erlene Best (email)
Date: 2/25/2013 at 10:57:17

Memorial Service: 11:00 AM February 25, 2006 at Peace United Church of Christ, Elkader, IAVisitation: 10:00 AM until service time February 25, 2006 at Peace United Church of Christ, Elkader, IA.

Harold Sherman Griffith, 93, of Elkader was born June 15, 1912, to Harry Llewellyn and Abbie Grannis Griffith at Elkader, Iowa.

He died February 22, 2006, at Central Community Hospital in Elkader after a short illness.

He graduated from Elkader High School in 1929, Elkader Junior College in 1933, and the State University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Certificate of Journalism in 1936. He was a member of the Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism fraternity at Iowa.

Harold met Louise Mather through student activities at the Congregational Church in Iowa City. They were married at Kanawha, Iowa, June 26, 1937, and were devoted to each other for over 68 years.

They had three children: John Mather, Robert Paul and Nancy Ruth Kuehl. Harold and Louise raised Louise's younger sister Patricia Mather Breitsprecher as one of their own children.

Harold was baptized and raised in the First Congregational Church, Elkader, where he later served as a deacon and raised his family. Harold and Louise transferred to Peace United Church of Christ when several denominations joined to form the United Church of Christ. At Peace Church he served on the church council and as a Stephen Minister.

He was a 50 year member of both the Elkader Masonic Lodge and the Order of Eastern Star. He was a member of the Elkader Rotary Club, policy board of the Northland Housing Board, FEMA board, Keystone Terrace board, the Elkader unit of the Salvation Army and he helped organize and build the Clayton County Food Shelf.

He loved the printing plant of the Elkader Register and as a youth spent much of his spare time learning the trade. Upon graduation from the University of Iowa, he returned home as advertising manager of the Register. He assumed management of the business after the death of his father in 1937, and became the third generation Griffith in that capacity. Harold operated the Register for 41 years where he treated his printing as a precision craft and insisted on the absolute integrity of the printed word in the Clayton County Register. He was always pleased when young people he trained pursued careers in the printing and publishing trade. He retired in 1978 when he and Louise sold The Register to their son Robert and his wife Jane.

He was preceded in death by his parents, older sisters Helen Katherine and Mary Golden, a twin brother David Grannis and a younger brother Homer Llewellyn. He is survived by his wife Louise, two sons, John and his wife Julie (Stebor) Griffith of St. Charles, IL and Robert and his wife Jane (Paa) Griffith of Elkader and daughter Nancy and her husband Gary Kuehl, Elkader and Pat (Mather) Breitsprecher and her husband Kenny, Farmersburg. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.

Typical of his generosity, he stipulated that his body be donated to the University of Iowa Medical School.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 25 at 11:00 a.m. in Peace United Church of Christ, Elkader. Friends may greet the family after 10:00 at the church. A Masonic service will be held in the Elkader Lodge at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 24 and is open to the public.