Lester Griffiths

October 29, 2005

Funeral services for Lester Griffiths, 84, of Jefferson, will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson, followed by interment at the Jefferson Cemetery. Friends may call at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson after 12 noon Thursday. The family will be present to greet friends at the funeral home between 7:00 – 9:00 pm Thursday. Lester Lee Griffiths was born December 18, 1920 at Knoxville, Iowa. He was the son of Lemuel Lee Griffiths and Ivec Case Griffiths. Lester came to Jefferson in 1925 and attended school in Jefferson. Lester entered the United States Army on August 12, 1942 and served his country during World War II as an amphibian truck driver in the European African Middle Eastern Theater. He received four Purple Hearts. Following his honorable discharge on November 15, 1945, Lester returned to Greene County and farmed for several years. He worked at the Ford Garage for a few years, and also at Thermogray for a short time. For over 32 years, Lester worked for the City of Jefferson; first on the street department crew, then at the disposal plant, and finally at the city cemetery. He retired in 1983. Lester was united in marriage to Edith Heuton on February 27, 1946 at a Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa. They were the parents of three children. Lester was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson and the Floyd Brown Post # 11 of the American Legion. He umpired many Little League baseball games. Lester and Edith were ardent gardeners who shared their produce with many people in this community. The Griffiths were eager to lend a helping hand at all times. Lester died October 29, 2005 at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, Iowa. He was 84 years of age. Preceding him in death were his parents, and his step-mother Grace Russell Griffiths; his wife Edith who died February 22, 1999; and an infant son, David Lee Griffiths. Lester is survived by two children: Dan Griffiths, and Nancy Griffiths, both of Jefferson; three grandsons: David Griffiths of Red Bluff, CA; Bryan Griffiths, and Kevin Griffiths and his wife Kristi, all of West Sacramento, CA; and a great-grandson, Brett Lee Griffiths.