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SECOND GENERATION
2. Edgar Marshall GRIFFITH
was born on
15 Oct 1908 in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, PA. Born at home, 410 Hampton Avenue,
Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, PA. He was educated between 1922 and 1926 in Wilkinsburg,
Allegheny, PA. From "The Annual" 1926, Wilkinsburg High School yearbook,
one verse of a poem that consisted of a verse for each member of the senior class:
"Always beware of Marshall Griffith / His onslaught is indeed "terrif'th";
/ In
football it always was his style, / To lie on the very bottom of the
pile."
The same yearbook lists the perfect boy and girl, under "Perfect Boy,"
Marshall Griffith's shoulders. He was educated between 1926 and 1932 in Ohio
University, Athens, Ohio. He was a Civil Engineer between 1932 and 1958 in Pennsylvania.
Johnstown Flood Wall, Project Manager; Cambria Slag Company, President; Davis
Brake Beam Company, Assistant to President; Pennsylvania Department of Highways.
He died on 16 Aug 1958 in Johnstown, Cambria, PA. Marshall died at his home
at 432 Dickinson Street, Johnstown, Cambria county, PA. Cause of death was "coronary
occlusion" complicated by diabetes.
Obituary notice:
Death Claims E. Marshall Griffith, 49. Davis Brake Beam
Official Prominent in College Football.
A prominent Westmont businessman was pronounced dead on arrival Saturday
morning at Memorial Hospital after suffering a heart attack at his home. He was
E. Marshall Griffith , 49, of 432 Dickinson Street, assistant to the president
of Davis Brake Beam Company.
Mr. Griffith was president of a class of approximately 300 men who were inducted
into New Castle Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masons, in 1944.
"Given High Award"
A past president of the consistory's Johnstown Fellowship Club, he was presented
one of the highest awards in Scottish Rite circles--Meritorious Service Award
Jewel--at the consistory's 99th reunion in 1956.
The Westmont man, former manager of Cambria Slag Company, served two years
as president of Phi Delta Theta Alumni Club of Johnstown. He was a member of
the 1929 undefeated football team. He was buried on 21 Aug 1958 in Homewood
Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. Buried in Lot 68, Section 24. Common headstone,
"GRIFFITH," for six grave plot. Buried with his father, mother, and
sister.
He was married to Lucie Estelle L'HOMMEDIEU on 19 Nov 1938 in PA.. Marriage
announcement:
Wilkinsburg Nuptial Scene - Former California Girl Becomes Bride Here
A former California resident who has made Pittsburgh her home for the past
three years, became a bride here yesterday. She is the former Miss Lucile L'Hommedieu,
who was married to E. Marshall Griffith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar A. Griffith
of Hampton Ave., Willkinsburg.
The ceremony took place at the home of the bride's uncle and aunt, Dr. and
Mrs. A.C. Young of Hill Ave., Wilkinsburg. Rev. James Best of the First United
Presbyterian Church read the service, which was attended by the bride's father,
W.P. L'Hommedieu, and Mrs. L'Hommedieu, of Piedmont, Cal.
The bride's sister, Annalene Hervey Harper, of Los Angeles, played the ceremonial
music.
The bridal gown of eggshell brocaded taffeta was fashioned with long sleeves
with modified leg o'mutton shoulders, square neckline, short tightly-fitted waistline
and a long skirt with a suggestion of a train. Her three-quarter length veil
was draped from a cap of tulle with orange blossom trimming at the back.
As maid-of-honor, Miss Betty Pratt, of Wilkinsburg, was dressed in a gown
of sapphire blue taffeta styled with sweetheart neckline, short puffed sleeves
and a flared skirt. Miss Miriam Griffith, sister of the bridegroom, bridesmaid,
was similarly dressed with her gown a deeper shade of blue. Each wore gold slippers
and had gold ostrich tips in their hair. They carried Colonial bouquets of golden
pompons and talisman roses. Her cousin, junior bridesmaid, Betty Young, appeared
in a still deeper shade of blue contrasted by gold. William Rochester of Altoona
was best man. Robert Lennon and Robert W. Philips ushered. After the reception
at the Young home, the bridal couple left for a southern motor trip. They will
be at home in Westmont, 1141 Luzerne Street, Johnstown, PA.
3. Lucie Estelle L'HOMMEDIEU
was born on
12 Aug 1910 in Tarrentum, Harrison Twp., Allegheny, PA. Lucie L'Hommedieu was
born at the United Presbyterian Campground in Tarrentum, Harrison Township, Allegheny
county, PA, where her family owned a summer cottage. Her father, a young engineer
with the Westinghouse Corp. had been transferred to the San Francisco Bay area
and her parents, after giving up their own home in preparation for the move to
California, stayed at the family camp until Lucie was born. They left for California
by train when she was 3 weeks old. She was educated between 1926 and 1930 in
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, Alameda, CA. Bachelor's Degree
in Economics. She was a Westinghouse Corporation between 1936 and 1938 in Pittsburgh,
Allegheny, PA. Lucie worked as a Receptionist for a couple of years when she
first came East after graduating from college. While she was at the East Pittsburgh
Works, she entered and won first prize in a Forbes Magazine sponsored nationwide
contest, "Why I Like to Work for My Company." She was a Girl Scouts
of USA between 1952 and 1975 in Johnstown, PA; Buffalo, NY, DesPlaines, IL; Pomona,
CA. In addition to the Executive Director position in the Johnstown, PA (1952-1962),
Burffalo, NY (1962-1966), DesPlaines, IL (1967-1970), and Spanish Trails, Pomona,
CA (1970-1976) Girl Scout Councils, Lucile also served as a National Trainer
from National Headquarters in New York City (1965-1967). She died on 28 Aug
2004 in at home, Murrieta, Riverside, California. Lucie died at home with her
daughter, Sara Leslie, and her grandson, David Marshall, with her. Penny Jean
Bailey was also there.
Death Certificate recorded in Riverside County, CA
OBITUARY:
"TOMORROW IS TODAY'S DREAM"
On August 28, 2004, Lucie Estelle L'Hommedieu Griffith passed quietly away at
home in Murrieta, California. She died as she lived, with dignity and personal
independence, true to her life motto, "Tomorrow is today's dream."
She was 94.
Lucie, known as Lucile in her later years, was born August 12, 1910, Turtle Creek,
PA, and when only 3 weeks old, she had her first adventure, traveling across
the country by train with her parents to the San Francisco Bay area. Here she
grew up and began her life long love of California, her beloved Yosemite and
Big Basin, camping and nature. Lucie graduated with highest honors from the University
of California, Berkeley, with a degree in economics and personnel administration,
(she later attended Boston University, University of Pittsburgh, and The New
School in New York City, earning Masters in philosophy and psychology). It was
the first year of the Great Depression after graduation from Berkeley and she
often laughed that she got her first post graduation job in a department store
credit department, not because of her education, but because she could type.
Lucie had begun her working career at the age of 14, giving violin lessons for
50 cents a lesson and had paid for her college expenses reading to the blind
and working as a playground supervisor and tennis instructor.
In 1935, Lucie used a small inheritance from her Grandmother to finance a trip
"back East" to visit with her Mother's family in Pittsburgh, PA. Just
prior to her marriage in 1938 to Edgar Marshall Griffith, who she met shortly
after arriving in Pittsburgh, she came to national prominence, as a ground breaker
for women, when a business essay she wrote as part of a contest conducted by
Forbes Magazine, was selected over 758 other entrants, all male. Her arrival
in New York City to receive her award and expenses paid week in the city was
met with much hand wringing as the Forbes Magazine men discovered her gender
for the first time and tried to decided what to do with a woman contest winner.
The CEO of the company, Mr. Forbes himself, put a stop to the grumbling and made
a public statement that "woman or not, she was proof of the best and brightest
and would get her prize and the national recognition she so well deserves."
After her marriage in November, 1938, she and her new husband, Marshall, set
up housekeeping in Johnstown, PA where Marshall was the project manager for the
flood wall project underway in a city famous for its devastating floods. It took
Lucie less than six months to begin making her mark as a volunteer leader, trainer,
board member, vice president, executive trainer and president Girl Scouts of
the U.S.A. in Johnstown. She was also a board member for the Cambria City Mission,
the Johnstown Symphony Auxiliary, Johnstown Youth Association all while finding
time to play the violin in the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. In 1945, she took
a year off to have her only child, Sara Leslie Griffith, and worked hard at bringing
scouting to the small mining towns that dotted the landscape in and around Cambria
County. Lucie fought prejudice all her life and she always felt her crowning
achievement was establishing the first troop for African American young girls.
She became the Executive Director of the Johnstown Girl Scout Council in 1951.
In 1961, now a young widow, she became the Executive Director of the Buffalo
and Erie County Girl Scout Council, NY. In 1966, she was tapped to head the Bureau
of Wages and Standards at National Headquarters in New York City. She left New
York to begin her quest to return to California with a stop as Executive Director
of the Northwest Cook County, Illinois council from 1968-1970 and in 1970 she
joined the Spanish Trails Girl Scout Council, Pomona, California. After her retirement
in 1975, she returned to scouting as the Interim Director, Two Rivers G.S. Council
in Quincy, Illinois until they could hire a permanent director.
She continued her public service as a Member of the Quota Club, the Century Club
of Buffalo, NY, charter member of the NAACP and active civil rights worker, the
American Association of University Women, the Buffalo Philharmonic Auxiliary,
as a volunteer for alcohol rehabilitation programs, a member of the Society of
Personnel Women and member and officer of the Des Plaines and Pomona Soroptomist
Clubs. She was a member and officer of the Chino Art Association, she recorded
text books for the blind at the Claremont Center and volunteered for the California
Literacy Campaign through the Chino Library, teaching adults to read. In retirement,
she worked as a census enumerator and during tax season, as a preparer for H&R
Block.
Lucie's retirement years were ones spent traveling with her daughter and friends,
visiting her family, playing bridge, painting, loving the computer age, and staying
active. When Ronald Reagan was elected President, she took it as a personal challenge
(they were the same age), and vowed, "if he can be that active, so can I."
Her words during the week long Reagan funeral were, "I won!"
Lucie is survived by her Daughter, Sara Leslie Griffith of Murrieta, CA, Grandson
David Marshall Jacoby and his partner Penny of Murrieta, CA, Granddaughter Victoria
Huggins and Greatgranddaughter, Jessica (age 13) of Kissimmee, FL, Nephew Robert
L'Hommedieu of Placentia, CA, Nieces Susan L'H. Kalhoefer of Missouri, Maureen
Murtaugh of Danville, CA and Martha Adams of Pittsburgh, PA. She was preceded
in death by her parents, William Peryn and Sara (Young) L'Hommedieu, her brothers,
Alfred and William R. L'Hommedieu, her sister, Annalene Hervey Callendar, and
her husband, Edgar Marshall Griffith.
Lucie requested that there be no funeral or formal gathering after her passing.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, any donations be given to the Talus
Rock Council, Johnstown, PA. to establish camperships for needy girls or to the
Parkinson Foundation in honor of Lucie's oldest and dearest friend, Helen Sellers.
Private internment September 7, 2004, Forest Lawn, Covina Hills, CA
Children were:
1 i.
Sara Leslie GRIFFITH. |