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Fourteenth Generation
842.
 Lester Glenn GRIGGS (~) was born on 17 May 1910 in Huron,
Beadle County, SD.27,192,551,552,553 (The
family could not be located in the 1910 Census, and it is not known exactly where
they were living when Glenn was born. But his birth place is believed to have
been Huron in Beadle County.)
Glenn's maternal grandfather, Ira J. Root, wrote the following letter to his
wife, Mary, while she was in South Dakota to be with their daughter, Eva, when
she gave birth to Glenn:
"Tomah, Wis. 5 -- 19th --10
Dear Wife & Folks at Huron,
We heard via Mr. G. (probably Clarence Griggs, Sam's father) last night
that Eva & Sam had a Boy. Well, hope he is a nice one & well. Give
the youngster the congrats of his Granddad & the best wishes of all of us
at home.
Hope to get a letter today & hear that all are doing well. We had a
fine rain & the weather is nice after. We are planting corn. Will finish
today. Am using the two horse planter that I & Mr. Skinner & Mr. L.
bought & it works fine.
Orson & Lulu (Root, Ira's brother) was over yesterday p.m. Gail (their
son) was feeling first-rate. We heard this morning that they have a young horse.
I presume Orson will be quite pleased. We hear that Jason (Root) does not gain
much under Dr. Heinke's treatment.
Well, Mary, will not stop to write any more this morning as am in a hurry
as usual. Good Bye. Love to all from Grand Pa."
Glenn's father, Sam, had moved to South Dakota to look for work sometime in 1909,
and his mother, Eva, and sister, Blanche, followed in early-1910. After Glenn
was born, he was very sick for a few months, and his paternal grandfather and
grandmother, Clarence and Carrie Griggs, came to Huron and took him back to their
home in LaGrange Township. Initially, Eva wanted to return to Wisconsin, but
Sam wanted to stay in South Dakota.
In a letter written on 13 May 1911 by Clarence Griggs to Roxana Liscomb Griggs,
the wife of his father's brother, Roswell, Glenn's grandfather Clarence states:
"We have our grandson with us yet. His mother is in the hospital yet,
but her health is improving rapidly. Expect her home soon."
Sometime after that, Eva and Blanche returned to Monroe County from Huron and
lived with Clarence and Carrie. Then, later in 1911, Sam returned and farmed
on property that he rented in Monroe County.
.
He appeared in the census in 1920 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.302
A detailed search of the 1930 Census failed to locate Glenn or his sister Blanche
or his brother LaVerne. They are believed to have been living at the home of
their paternal grandparents, Clarence and Carrie Griggs at their home at 1308
Stoughton Avenue in Tomah. But that household was not listed on the census sheets.
The census enumerator included neighboring homes in their block at 1312, 1314,
1316 and 1320, as well as homes across the street at 1301, 1303 and 1305 Stoughton.
But, for some unknown reason, she did not include 1308.
. He served in the military after 1942.398
He was stationed at Camp Livingston, Lousiana, in early-1942, and then in the
Fiji Islands. His daughter Judy has some letters that he wrote to his sister,
Blanche, in May, November and December 1942 from Fiji. He wrote primarily about
letters that he received from family members and about wishing that he was back
in Wisconsin. He was a Corporal in the Army while in Fiji. Each envelope was
stamped to indicate that it had been inspected and "Passed" by an "Army
Examiner" before mailing.
. He died on 12 Sep 1986 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI.192
Obituary Notes: "Glenn was born May 17, 1910 in Huron, SD to Samuel and
Eva (Root) Griggs. He moved to Tomah as an infant and resided in Tomah until
entering the service. He married Virginia Williams of Tomah on May 25, 1946.
He was a World War II veteran of the 32nd Division of the Army. He was a lifetime
member of the AMVETS Organization. He was an iron worker for Price Erecting
until his retirement in 1972. Glenn died at the age of 76 at St. Joseph's Hospital,
Milwaukee. His death was caused by respiratory failure due to a long illness
from emphysema.
His survivors include his wife, Virginia; four daughters: Judy, Janet and Jerri
of Milwaukee, and Joan of Rhinelander, and their husbands and eight grandchildren;
and sister-in-law Bernice (wife of the late Vern) Griggs of Tomah. He was preceded
in death by one brother (Vern) and one sister (Blanche Cassidy)."
. He was buried on 15 Sep 1986 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI.192 in the Wisconsin Memorial Park.
. Lester Glenn GRIGGS (~) and Virginia Mae WILLIAMS were married on 25 May
1946 in Crown Point, Lake County, IN.192,554 They married in Crown Point
because a friend of Virginia's had married there, and she thought it would be
a good place for their wedding. Their best man was Glenn's brother, Vern, and
their maid of honor was Virginia's sister, Ruth.
Virginia remembers that she was very embarrassed because Vern drove them to Crown
Point for their wedding, and he took so long to get back to Wisconsin after the
wedding that the four of them were late for the wedding dinner that Bernice Griggs
had waiting for them. When they finally arrived back in West Allis, some of
the guests had already left.
.
Virginia
Mae WILLIAMS (daughter of Elijah Newton "Dick" WILLIAMS and Lola Nettie BASSETT)
was born on 26 May 1923 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.391,555 She
appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.315 She graduated in 1941 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe
County, WI.556,557 from Tomah High School. Lester Glenn GRIGGS (~) and
Virginia Mae WILLIAMS had the following children:
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