Marilyn Smith Griffin was born on October 15, 1922 in Mullin, Texas. She passed from this life into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 3, 2016, in Brownwood, Texas. She was the third child of Edward Percival (Percy) Smith and Edna Stevenson Smith, and lived all her early life in Mullin, graduating as Salutatorian of her class. In 1940, the family moved to Brownwood, where Marilyn took the one-year secretarial course at Howard Payne College and began working at Western Union during the war years.
In March, 1946 she married Carl Edward Griffin and worked as part-time secretary and bookkeeper in the cabinet and church furniture business, as well as rearing their children. After their children were grown, Marilyn began her many hours of community service. Over the years, she was a member and officer in ABWA, Welcome W. Chandler DRT, and the hospital auxiliary, where she logged in thousands of hours. She also spent many hours working for Good Samaritan Ministries in the clothing ministry.“MeMa” also loved her grandchildren, and opened her home to them and to their friends. In addition, she enjoyed renting rooms in her large home to several HPU students over the years.
Most of all, she loved her church and serving her Lord. She taught children’s Sunday school and mission study classes at Early First Baptist Church and later, for many years, at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church. She also taught the “Special Friends” Sunday school class for several years, before her health declined. She was active in the ladies’ mission societies as well and some of her fondest memories were of her trips to Glorietta, New Mexico and the WMU House parties at Baylor University.
Marilyn is survived by her children, Mary Griffin Dunham and Frank Griffin and wife Janet; her grandchildren, Nathan, Dano and Sarah Dunham; Malenda MacAdam and husband Bob, Marla Chrane and husband Taj, Janlyn Griffin and Seth Griffin and wife Ashley; great-grandchildren, Trintin Chick, Kinzie O’Connor, Conner MacAdam, and Lucy Griffin; nieces and nephews, Carol Gotcher and James Smith of Sweetwater and Jo Collier of Brownwood. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, infant son David Griffin, sister, Cassie Smith, brother, Harold Glynn Smith and sister Hester Smith Elliott.
The family extends its gratitude to the Vicksburg Retirement Center, CMS Home Health Care, and the gentle and caring nurses and CNAs of Oak Ridge Manor.
Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, September 10, 2016, in the Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel, with Tim Skaggs officiating. Burial will follow in Greenleaf Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m., Friday, September 9, 2016, at Davis-Morris Funeral Home.
