ORMOND BEACH, FL & GANSEVOORT- Frances “Arlene” Griffin a longtime resident of Ormond Beach, FL died on July 21, 2014 in Florida.
Born on March 14, 1923 in Broken Bow, Nebraska, she was the daughter of the late, Herbert and Lida Drum. Arlene attended a country school in Berwyn, Nebraska, where she had to hitch a horse to a buggy in the morning and leave it at the livery stable until it was time to return home after school.
Arlene married Martin J Griffin in August 1945. He passed away in 1975. They worked together in Saratoga Springs at Van Raalte Company, making ladies lingerie. Her first paycheck was $16.00 for a 40 hour work week. After moving to Florida in 1959, she worked for Sears Roebuck and retired in 1985. Arlene continued meeting monthly with other retirees until her death. Additionally, she worked as a substitute teacher for Volusia County Schools.
Arlene was an avid NASCAR fan and was proud of the fact that she held a NASCAR
Driver’s license and was a Lady Bomber Street Stock car driver at Volusia County
Speedway. Her faith in God was a hallmark of her life and she was involved in several
area churches, including Holly Heights Assembly of God, Daytona Christian, Riverbend
Community Church and Tomoka Christian. Arlene lived every day to enjoy showing her
friends and even people she didn’t know that life was great if you lived with God as your Father. “She defended the less fortunate”.
Arlene was preceded in death by her husband, Martin J Griffin, infant son, Marvin Griffin and sister, Patricia Salmomson.
Arlene is survived by her sons, William Martin Griffin (Sharon) of Coral Springs, FL and
Frederick Ambrose Griffin (Donna) of Ormond Beach, FL; her grandchildren, Wendy Griffin Rice (Steve) of Margate,FL and Ambrose Martin Griffin (Kelley)of Ormond Beach, FL ; her great grandchildren, Emma, Megan and Amelia Rice and Talen and Ashton Griffin; her brothers, Herbert Drum of Ocala, FL and John Drum of Gansevoort; and her faithful dog of 20 years, “Pepper”.
Graveside Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 1, 2014 at Gansevoort Cemetery in the town of Northumberland.
In lieu of flowers, donations In Arlene’s memory may be to http://www.emmazinggrace.org.
Arrangements are under the care of Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street in Hudson Falls.
