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Last modified: Friday, August 21, 2009 9:35 AM CDT
Cleo J. Griffin, 86
Cleo J. Griffin, 86, Wahpeton, N.D. died Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fargo, N.D.
Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 22 at Bethel Lutheran Church with the Rev. Jim Gustafson officiating.
Visitation will be held from 5–8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. Prayer Service at the Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton; also, visitation one hour prior at the church on Saturday.
Burial will be held at Elk Creek Cemetery, rural Wyndmere, N.D. Military Honors will be conducted by the “Members of the N.D. Military Funeral Honors,” Wyndmere American Legion Brown-Nelson Post No. 153 and "Sons of American Legion,” and Woody Keeble VFW Post No. 4324, Wahpeton.
Cleo Joseph Griffin was born on June 8, 1923, at rural Delamere, N.D. to Lee F. and Helen (Rush) Griffin. He received his formal education at West End Township No. 1 – rural Wyndmere and then at McLeod, N.D. Cleo worked with his parents on the home farm in West End Township until he joined the US Navy on May 23, 1944, serving in Farragut, Idaho, gunnery training at Treasure Island, California, the armed guard in the South Pacific and then he was stationed on Guam where he did carpentry work. He married Lorraine Vaughan on July 26, 1945, at Freeman Church, McLeod. He was honorably discharged on Feb. 6, 1946.
After the service he came back to Wyndmere where he worked as a carpenter. He worked at the Farmers Elevator from fall of 1946 to the spring of 1949. He was owner and operator of the Griffin Carpentry Company of Wyndmere until his retirement. His wife Lorraine died Feb. 27, 1971. He continued to live in Wyndmere until moving to Dwight, N.D. He married Ethel J. (Ehrens) Rossum on April 12, 1991, at Faith Lutheran Church, Dwight by Rev. Bill Thompson. The couple lived in Dwight for 3 years and then moved to Wahpeton where they have since resided.
Cleo was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church since 1991, a lifetime and past commander of the Brown-Nelson American Legion Post No. 153, Woody Keeble VFW Post No. 4324, lifetime member of the N.D. Fire Chief’s Association, past chief of the Wyndmere Fire Department, former member of the Dwight Fire Department, helped organize the Southern Valley Slow Pitch Softball League and helped organize Wyndmere Ambulance Service. Cleo enjoyed woodworking, playing cards, and bingo.
He is survived by: his wife, Ethel J. Griffin, Wahpeton, two sons, Brian (Charlotte) Griffin, Battle Lake, Minn., Vaughan (Wendy) Griffin, Dwight, N.D.; one daughter, Denise (Dan) Biewer, Wahpeton; four step-children, Kenneth (Lois) Rossum, Sandy, Utah, Diane (Carl) Glander, West Fargo, N.D., Vivian (Tom) Bernotas, Wahpeton, Colleen (Lynn) Thoe, Wahpeton; 10 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 15 step-grandchildren, 27 step-great-grandchildren; one sister, Helen Goerndt, Breckenridge, Minn.; three sisters-in-law, Dorothy Griffin, West Fargo, Jerry Griffin, Wahpeton, Kay Sheridan, Salt Lake City, Utah; and many nieces and nephews.
Cleo was preceded in death by: his parents, his first wife, Lorraine; four brothers, Francis, Raymond, Jack, and Don; and his sister, Mary Dotzenrod.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of the Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton.
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