Ray Griffin

Funeral Services were held 10:30 A.M., Thursday, September 27, 1990 at the Aurora United Methodist Church. Interment was held in the Aurora Cemetery.

OBITUARY: Ray Griffin

Ray A. Griffin, Sr., the son of Albert and Nellie (Garrett) Griffin, was born November 6, 1915 at Naponee, Nebraska and passed away at Aurora, Nebraska, on September 25, 1990 at the age of 74 years, 10 months, and 9 days.

Ray grew up in the Naponee area, where he graduated from high school. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agriculture in 1941.

On September 14, 1941, he married Frances Danek at Lincoln. Following his ROTC training at UNL, he was commissioned into the Army in October 1941. He served in Europe during World War II. In May 1945, he was coming home on leave when the announcement came that the treaty ending the war was signed. The couple lived in Kentucky until he was discharged.

In December of 1945, they moved to Alma where he worked for the Soil Conservation Service. In 1946, they moved to Elwood, in 1957 to Ogallala and in 1961 to Aurora, in all towns working for the Soil Conservation Service.

In 1982, Mr. Griffin retired and in November was elected mayor of Aurora, a position he held at the time of his death.

Ray was a lifetime member of the American Legion, served as past commander, District Nine commander at Elwood, department senior vice commander, Member of the 40 & 8, and served as executive secretary of the 712th Tank Battalion Association.

He was American Legion local children and youth chairman, a member of the district committee on children and youth and a member of Aurora VFW Post 4994.

Ray was a past Rotarian, served on the school board in Elwood, a member of the Nebraska Committee on Children and Youth, served on the cripple children’s committee in Ogallala and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Youth during the Eisenhower administration.

He earned the Mapmaker award from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and was an admiral in the Nebraska Navy. He was a Cub Scout master in Ogallala and Boy Scout Master in Elwood and member of the Elks Club in Grand Island. He was a member of the Masons in Elwood and Aurora Lodge #68 AF & AM, and a lifetime member of the UNL Alumni Association. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and had served on the board. He was vice chairman of the church building committee in charge of the sanctuary, and had been a delegate to the United Methodist Annual Conference when living in Ogallala and again in Aurora. He was Sunday School superintendent of the junior department in Ogallala.

In 1986 the village of Lieler, Luxembourg, put up a marker honoring Mr. Griffin’s battalion and named a small plaza “Place Griffin.” Ray had used Lieler as his command post while his battalion battled through the Siegried Line January 28, 1945, and freed the town of Lieler.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Ray A. Griffin, Jr.

Those who remain to cherish his memory are his wife Frances, 2 sons, Bill of Aurora and Steve of Grand Island; one daughter, Sandy Howland of Aurora, one brother James of Sutherland, one sister Lois Carroll of Mission, Texas, 6 grandchildren and other relatives and close friends.