Jerome Griffith

GRIFFITH, MILLER

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 9/9/2004 at 20:48:00

Jerome Griffith, a well known farmer of Douglas township, is a native of this county, born in Jefferson township on the 29th of June, 1874, the fourth in order of birth in a family of seven children whose parents were David A. and Hester Ellen (Miller) Griffith. The father was born on the 15th of April, 1841, near Dayton, Ohio, and the mother's birth occurred in 1846. David A. Griffith became familiar with the work of the farm as a boy in Ohio and in April, 1861, when twenty years of age, enlisted in Company D, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for service in the Civil war. His valor and cool-headedness won him promotion to the rank of sergeant, and his record throughout the period of hostilities was one of which he had good cause to be proud. He first served under McClellan but was later with Sherman on the famous march to the sea. In 1866 he removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, and four years later settled in this county. He had previously homesteaded land in Buena Vista county. He resided in Union township, this county, until 1893, in which year he located in Douglas township, where he became a landowner and engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He is now practically retired. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and his religious adherence to the Methodist church.

Jerome Griffith entered the high school in Winterset after completing the course offered in the district schools of Union township and in 1890 graduated from the high school. He then attended the Capital City Commercial College and also took special work in music. For about four years he taught school at intervals but at the end of that time became a candidate for county recorder without his knowledge and was elected in 1896. He served in that office for two terms and proved efficient and systematic in the discharge of the duties devolving upon him. On the 1st of January, 1901, he took up his residence on a farm which he had purchased and is now the owner of two hundred acres of fine land in Douglas township. He is progressive in all that he does and seeks to embody in his practice the results of the discoveries of agricultural experimenters and investigators. He is known as the best corn grower in Madison county and has sold as much as -four hundred bushels of seed corn in one year. He raises Funk Yellow Dent corn, which he has exhibited at the Madison County Fair and also at the fairs of adjoining counties. He has won many prizes and is considered an authority upon the problems that relate to the growing of corn. He is also a successful stockraiser, specializing in Poland China hogs. He devotes his entire time to his farm, finding that its successful operation demands not only his undivided attention and his greatest energy but his most exact thought. He erected a fine residence in the fall of 1914 which is provided with furnace heat and a good lighting system and is in all respects up-to-date.

Mr. Griffith is active in the republican party and is never remiss in any of the duties of a good citizen. He is Sunday-school superintendent, leader of the Epworth League, steward and trustee in the Worthington Methodist Episcopal church and is one of the most prominent members of the organization. For four years he was recorder of the Maccabees and was for a number of years a member. of the Modern Woodmen of America, but since removing to the country has not had time to continue his relationship with that order. He is a good musician, trained both in voice and instrumental music, and helped to organize the Worthington Band and Orchestra. He has done much for agricultural development in his county and it is to such as he that Iowa must look to uphold her reputation as one of the leaders in corn production in the Union. He is not only meeting with unusual success in his chosen line of work but has also gained the unqualified respect and esteem of his fellowmen, as his salient characteristics are worthy of commendation.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915”