Griffin, James Jr. 1859-1942 and Mary Griffin Family

GRIFFIN, LANGFORD, LIKE

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 11/16/2021 at 12:18:27

James Griffin, Jr. Family

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.

Mr. James Griffin was born in Geneva, New York, in 1860, and when he was twelve years old, he and his parents and three sisters, Alice (Mrs. Nelson Dearborn), Sarah (Mrs. Samuel Bellesfield), and Annie (Mrs. W.C. Murphy) came as far as the railroad ran to Franklin County by train, and from there traveled by covered wagon on to Rock Township where his parents homesteaded the Southeast quarter of Section 36 in June 1872 when the sod was first broken in Sioux County. (Now the land is farmed by Jake Bomgaars.)

When they arrived here, there were no towns around, the nearest town being LeMars. He saw the railroad laid to Rock Valley in 1879 and saw the city grow from its first building to those of the present. He recalled the flood of the spring of 1881 and loved to retell earlier incidents.

He was married in 1886 and in 1893, he and his wife bought the farm two and one-half miles east and one mile south of Rock Valley (Rock Township Section 26, Southeast quarter) where they lived until 1915 when they moved to Rock Valley (1322 12th Street, now the home of Marinus Maassen). There were four children: one of them, Mabel (Mrs. James Vander Poel – deceased December 1973) lived in the community all her life.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Griffin passed away in the year of 1937 and both are buried in the Rock Valley cemetery. Wilbur Boer now lives on what was their farm.

(Revised from history written in 1955 by Mrs. Alvin Miller-granddaughter.)

QUESTION arose as to the correct year of James’s birth. Story above lists 1860 as birth year; however, His grave stone list James Griffen 1859-1942, His death record states he was born Sep 23, 1859 Geneva New York. His wife was Mary Griffin, His parents were James Gtiffin and Mary Ann Langford, both born in England, they are both buried in the Rock Valley cemetery also.

OBITUARY OF JAMES GRIFFIN (1859-1942)
Sioux Center News of Feb 12, 1942
James Griffin, pioneer settler of Sioux County, passed away after a week's illness at his home in Rock Valley Monday morning, Feb. 9. 1942. Mr. Griffin has been blind for several years but enjoyed his radio when able to be up and around.
James Griffin was born at Geneva, New York, September 23, 1859, and moved with his parents to Hampton, Franklin County, lowa on April 1, 1363 and in June 20, 1872 came to Sioux County with his parents James and Mary Ann Griffin locating on a homestead four and one-half miles southeast of the present sight of Rock Valley. The family made the trip with an ox team and a covered wagon and built a sod house on the homestead Mr. Griffin with the rest of the family suffered many hardships living on the prairie during grasshopper days and prairie fires which threatened their home several times.
Mr. Griffin was untied in marriage to Mary Griffin on May 16, 1886 at the family home and moved to a farm three and one half miles southeast of Rock Valley. Mr. Griffin was baptized as a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Geneva NY as a boy and untied with the Methodist church Nov 30, 1924 under W. C. Bergman as pastor. Mr. Griffin and family moved to Rock Valley in March 1915 where he lived up to the present Mr. Griffin had attained the age of 82 years, 4 months and 9 days.
He leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Mrs. Mary Griffin, four children H.B. Griffin, Salem, S.D.; Mabel, Mrs. James Vander Pool, Rock valley; Esther Mrs. Lester Benson Camby Minn; and Frank Griffin Rock Valley. Two sisters Mrs. Anna Murphy and Mrs. Mary A Dearborn Rock Valley, one sister preceded him in death, Mrs. Sarah Bellesfield on Jun 24, 1934; and seven grand children, seven great grand children.
Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2:00 at the Methodist Church and burial in the family plot in Valley View cemetery.

OBITUARY OF MARY GRIFFIN (Mrs. James Griffin)
Source: Rock Valley Bee (6-12-1942)
Born: May 17, 1869
Died: 1942
FUNERAL OF MRS. GRIFFIN IS HELD HERE MONDAY
Mrs. James Griffin passed away suddenly Thursday at 8:40 of a heart attack. She had been out for a ride with her son, Frank, shortly before her passing.
Mary Elizabeth Griffin was born near Maysville, Iowa on May 17, 1869, child of John and Alice Griffin, and lived in that vicinity until she was twelve years of age when the family moved to a farm south of Rock Valley. They later moved to a farm southeast of Rock Valley where she grew to womanhood. She was united in marriage to James Griffin on May 16, 1880, and to this union were born six children. Two died in infancy. Those who survive are H. Bertram of Salem, South Dakota; Mabel, Mrs. James Vander Poel, Rock Valley; Esther, Mrs. Lester Benson, Canby, Minnesota; and Frank of Rock Valley. Mrs. Griffin was a kind and loving mother and carefully and tenderly cared for her blind husband. She was a neighbor whom the entire neighborhood will greatly miss.
She also leaves seven grandchildren, namely Dale, Lyle, Verte and Donna Benson of Canby, Minnesota; Gladys Vander Poul Miller of Rock Valley; and James and Edgar Griffin, Salem South Dakota; and two sisters, Mrs. Ed Klinger, Hancock Minnesota and Mrs. Martie Henderson, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, along with other relatives. Two half sisters, Mrs. Nellie Cambell and Mrs. Ethel Gunnison of Geneya, New York also survive.
Funeral services were held at the home at 1:30 and at the Methodist Church at 2:00 o’clock conducted by Reverend L.A. Rachny. The following quartet: Walter Vander Well, Mrs. L.R. Hegg, Mrs. J. Steck and J.P. Schult sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and “Nearer My God to Thee”. The pallbearers were C.A. Walhof, Gerrit Wissink, C. Roseboom, T.Bauman, John Dodeward, and D. H. Wesselink. Interment was made in the family plot in Valley View Cemetery.

RESEARCH Note: Mary Elizabeth Griffin was the daughter of John Griffin 1845 England -1914 Geneva NY and Alice Like 1850 New York-1890 Rock Valley IA .

OBITUARY OF MABEL VAN DER POEL
Daughter of James and Mary Griffin
Source: Sioux Center News (12-27-1973)
Born: October 3, 1893
Died: December 18, 1973
Funeral services were held at the Pioneer United Methodist Church in Rock Valley at 1:30 P.M. December 21 for Mrs. James Van Der Poel, 80, of Rock Valley, who died at the Hegg Memorial Hospital in Rock Valley December 18 after a long illness.
Services were conducted by the Rev. William E. Ballard and burial was in Valley View Cemetery at Rock Valley.
Mrs. Van Der Poel, the former Mabel Griffin was born October 3, 1893 at Rock Valley. She was married January 21, 1914, at Rock Rapids. Mr. Van Der Poel died July 6, 1969.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Alvin (Gladyce) Miller of Rock Valley, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild and one sister, Mrs. Lester Benson of Canby, Minnesota.
Note: Parents: James and Mary Griffin; ( Iowa 1925 Census)

This Family photo of James Griffin Jr’s family was in the 1908 Atlas of Sioux County Section 3 page 31. Also if you go to http://www.iagenweb.org/sioux/Atlas1908/P4S3/rock/Page_31.htm there is a picture of Mr. and Mrs. James Griffin Sr.

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