Courtesy of Jody Wyse
 

Second Lieutenant
Roy Morrett Griffith, Jr.
U. S. Army Air Forces
 

January 20, 1922 – December 28, 1944
Cedarvale Cemetery
Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas


Gold Star Mother
Lilburne L. (Jordan) Griffith
 

2LT Griffith at Find A Grave

2^nd Lieutenant Roy Morrett Griffith, Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces [January 20, 1922 – December 28, 1944] was born to Roy Morrett Griffith, Sr. [October 6, 1884 – October 18, 1956] and Lilburne L. “Peggy” (Jordan) Griffith [August _, 1898 - ___ _, 1927] at Houston, Harris County, Texas.  After his Mother’s death, he was raised by his aunt, Miss Fay Evelyn Griffith [October 10, 1886 – December 19, 1971]*of Terre Haute, IN, and received his academic education in Indiana Public Schools and the University of Houston.  He then moved to Matagorda County c.1940/41** to work with his father in the cattle business.  He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces on October 8, 1942, and on November 21, 1942 he married Miss Verna Lee Estill [September 5, 1925 – December 21, 1995] of Cedar Lane.  After receiving his pilot’s wings he became a flight instructor, and had transferred to the Amarillo Army Air Field (today Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport) for B-29 training prior to being sent overseas to the war zone.  He had been there only a short while when he developed polio, and died on December 28, 1944. At the time of Roy’s death Verna was with child, and on March 1, 1945 she celebrated the birth of their son, Roy Morrett Griffith III, who was killed in a tragic accident on July 1, 1991.  On November 16, 1946 Verna remarried to Jo A. Wyse [March 14, 1921 – February 8, 2004], and they set up their home in Cedar Lane.  At the time of Roy Jr.’s death he was survived by his wife Verna; his father Roy Sr.; his sister Mrs. Catherine Ann Shira; and aunt, Miss Fay E. Griffith. He was brought home and interred at Cedarvale Cemetery Bay City, Texas on December 30, 1944.

*Upon Miss Griffith’s death in 1971 she was brought to Bay City and interred next to Roy Jr.
 

**His father had made a contractual agreement with a Miss Ethel Jean Clark on May 21, 1940 to acquire a large tract of land at Cedar Lane, thus establishing the beginning of the Griffith’s residency in Matagorda County

HENRY ESTILL AND LT. R. M. GRIFFITH BURIED SUNDAY

Double funeral service was held here Sunday for Mr. Henry Estill who died suddenly at his home at Cedar Lane, Friday morning and for Mr. Estill’s son-in-law, Lt. Raymond M. Griffith who died Thursday evening at Amarillo.

The services were held from the Methodist Church at 2:30 with Reverend Harry Rankin of the Methodist Church and Reverend James Draper of the Baptist Church, officiating. Music was furnished by the combined choirs of the Methodist and Baptist Churches.

Matchett-Newman Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Active pallbearers at Mr. Estill’s grave were Messrs. W. F. Tetts, Guy Myrick, Ira Clements, Joe Wolffarth, Tom Matthews, Eaton Grissom. At the grave of Lt. Raymond Griffith, Richard Grissom, John Stephens, Jim Frank Johnson, Steve Matthews, Arden Shira and Capt. D. H. Snell, were pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers were: Lewis Matchett, Layton Moore, Grover Moore, W. W. Wilkinson, J. C. Sisk, E. O. Taulbee, Jack Hinton, R. O. Kiser, W. R. Gordon, Tom Hale, L. B. Luder, Jack Irwin, P. R. Hamill, Morris Richardson, Carey Smith, Wm. Cash, Harris Milner, Fred Mielsch, J. D. Tabb, Chas. Dickey, Arthur Norris, E. J. Werlla, J. B. Eastman, Lonnie Glaze, Pete Longwood, Henry Freeman, L. R. Eastman, Jesse Clements, B. C. Morris, Bill Klahn, A. B. Brown, Geo. Weathers, Ernest Freeman, B. F. Stevens, Clarence Allen, Sam Walker, C. R. Walker, M. T. Walker, W. G. Jones, Archie Holmes, D. V. Collins, E. B. Dacke, H. W. Bowie, J. B. Roberts, Dr. B. L. Livengood, C. M. Amos, F. S. Taylor, Guy Davis, Louis Wade, Jack Matthews, Jim Hamilton, Walker Hamilton, E. E. Rising, C. G. Potter, Fred Mielsch, J. W. Ingram, C. A. Erickson, W. R. Horn, John Stephens.

The Daily Tribune, January 2, 1945
 

Photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham

LT. R. M. GRIFFITH, JR.

Lt. Griffith, who died of infantile paralysis on December 28th, at Amarillo Army Airfield, was the son of Mr. Roy M. Griffith, Sr., a stockman of Cedar Lane community. He is survived by his wife, and a sister, Mrs. Arden L. Shira, of Houston.

Lt. Griffith received his academic education in Indiana Public Schools and the University of Houston. For a number of years he made his home with Miss Fay Griffith, an aunt, of Terre Haute, Indiana, coming to Texas several years ago to work in the cattle business with his father. He was married in 1942 to the former Miss Verna Lee Estill, of Cedar Lane.

Lt. Griffith entered the air force in 1942, and became a flying instructor, and was engaged in this work at the time of his death, although he had been transferred to the Amarillo field but a few days before his death for B-29 training, expecting thereby to see combat duty.


The Daily Tribune, January 18, 1945 and Matagorda County Tribune, January 25, 1945
 

Iva S. Griffith of Bay City died June 12 at Matagorda General Hospital. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, member of the Capt. Rugeley Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy, Matagorda Co. Historical Society, Matagorda County Museum Association and a past member of the Bay City Book Review Club. Survivors include sisters, Mrs. Homa Bronk and Mrs. Oklahoma Knox of Pasadena. Funeral service will be held at the Bay City Funeral Home Chapel, Saturday, June 14 at 10 a.m. with Rev. James Thompson of the First United Methodist Church officiating. Interment service will be held in the Cedarvale Cemetery. Services under the direction of Dick R. Elkins, Bay City Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, June 13, 1975

Roy M. Griffith, Long Time

Resident of County, Dies

Mr. Roy M. Griffith, resident of Matagorda County and Bay City for over fifty years, died this morning at 4:30 at the Matagorda General Hospital.  Mr. and Mrs. Griffith had lived in Cedar Lane area for years until just a couple of years ago when they moved to Bay City and built their beautiful home at 2003 Marguerite.

He had been a railroad man and a rancher and a farmer.  He was a member of the First Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Roy Griffith; one daughter, Aredn Shira of Houston; one sister, Miss Fay Griffith and one brother, C. E. Griffith, both of Terre Haute, Indiana.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Daily Tribune, Thursday, October 18, 1956

Mr. Griffith Services

To Be 10 A.M. Saturday

Funeral services for Roy M. Griffith, long time Matagorda County resident who died Thursday morning, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Methodist Church with Rev. Garnet House to officiate.  Interment will be at Cedarvale Cemetery.

Mr. Griffith, a resident of Cedar Lane for many years had lived in the county about 50 years, had moved to Bay City about two years ago.  He had been a railroad man and a rancher and farmer.  He was a member of the First Methodist Church. 

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Roy Griffith, one daughter, Aredn Shira of Houston; one sister, Miss Fay Griffith and one brother, C. E. Griffith, both of Terre Haute, Indiana.

Active pallbearers will be Morris Wyse, J. R. Carson, John Stevens, Morris Richardson, Billy Moore, P. T. Brown

Honorary pallbearers will be P.R. Hamill, L. B. Luder, Roland Rugeley, Henry Rugeley, Layton Moore, Earnest Reiman, Jim Sisk, Frank Hurley, Sr., Frank Hurley, Jr., Albert E. Smith, Ira Clement, Hubert Bowie, Syd Bowman, Joe Wolffarth, Bill O’Neal, E. L. McDonald, Jim Lewis, Dr. Charles Shoultz, Dr. B.E. Simons, Raleigh Sanborn, George Serrill, W.F. Tetts, F. W. Daehne, J. B. Eastman, Tom Matthews, Jack Matthews, Eaton Grisham, Robert L. Sisk, A.H. Wadsworth, S. O. Eidman and Gene Luna.

The Daily Tribune, Friday, October 19, 1956

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