GRIFFITH OWEN JONES. GRANVILLE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Came from North Wales in 1891 - Active in Public Service - Member of Treu Ivorites for 50 years.

The clock had struck 8 and Griffith O. Jones had just entered his home, on his return from what he jokingly calls his "government job". He explained that at 73 years of age he was still a "boy," a "special delivery messenger boy" in the local post office. He sometimes will walk several miles and cover quite a few of the village streets to carry special delivery letters and he meets the different mails which come to the local post office. "Oh, I do this job just to kill time and to keep me busy," said Griff.

He retired from active work in 1929, and Griff Jones certainly has had a busy career in Granville. He not only worked hard in the slate quarries but he found time to give to the various fraternal, civic and religious organization activities with which he was associated over a period of 46 years in the village of Granville.

He served as a member of the election board in District No. 2 for 25 years. He was financial secretary for the Odd Fellows for 20 years; secretary of the Encampment; financial secretary of the Slateworkers Union; director of the original board of the cot bed factory; school board member for ten years; school tax collector for two years in District No.7; village assessor four years and church trustee nine years.

Grfiffith O. Jones is the oldest of 12 children born to Owen and Ellen Jones of Rhostryfan,Carnarvonshire, North Wales. Griff was born August 14, 1868 and like other sons of Welsh slate workers he went to work at 12 years of age, picking up as much of his education as he could, in the graded school in his native town. There being no high school where he lived he left the ninth grade to stay home and assist his father in farm work, alternating it with his slate quarrying.

"From what heard ofthis country I thought that I could do better in the United States," said Mr. Jones, and he booked passage at the age of 22 years on the S.S. City of Chicago, arriving in the United States March 8, 1891. He was accompanied by a cousin who lived in Slatington, Pennsylvania, where Griffith O. Jones found work in the slate quarries for a short time.

He left for Bangor, Pa., where in less than a week he was given work by the Old Bangor Slate company and where he boarded with his uncle. He was earning $1.50 per day as a block cutter. Owen Williams, the father of Wish O. Williams of West Pawlet, Vermont, was related to him and Griffdecided tocome to West Pawlet in 1895.

After working in West Pawlet for about three months, he obtained work in the Norton Brothers quarries in Granville and made his home with Richard G. Jones. "They were paying 18 and 19 cents to splitters at that time," said Mr. Jones, "and I worked in the No. 9 quarry. All the time I have lived in Granville," continued Griff O. Jones, "I worked for just three concerns: Norton Brothers, Owens Brothers and Fred C. Sheldon, with a few minor exceptions."

"I noted what you wrote about the older genetation of the Welsh people passing on," said Mr. Jones, "I can remember that when Rev. W.O. Williams preached in Granville, the church was so full that there wasn't enough room for all of them. They had to place benches in the aisle, although when they built the church they thought that it would be large enough to accommodate all.

"Since Rev. Ellis Lloyd has been in Granville he has officiated at the funeral of 35 of the older Welsh people. That will give you some idea of how the old timers are passing on. I served as trustee of the Peniel Presbyterian church for nine years" continued Griff. "The church cost about $10,000 and the material wasn't so costly then, and besides, we volunteered quite a lot of work for the church, such as laying the sidewalk and doing as much as we could to save the church some money. I was very much interested in the Peniel Presbyterian church as well as in the Sunday school.

While Griffith O. Jones was financial secretary of the Odd Fellows lodge, to which many of the older Welsh residents belonged, he saw the organization grow from 130 members to 225 members. He handled more than $10,000 in insurance fees. The Slateworkers Union also consisted of 800 members at the time he was financial secretary of that organization. He has been a member of the True Ivorites of Bangor, Pa., for 50 years. "It may sound like boasting," said Mr. Jones, "but I honestly feel that the proudest part of my life is the fact that I was a member of the school board when we erected the present school building on Quaker street."

The marriage of Griffith O. Jones was a case of Jones meets Jones. His wife's maiden name was Jones and she is a daughter of the late Daniel and Elizabeth M. Jones. Mrs. Griffith O. Jones whose maiden name was Katherine Jane Jones was born in Middle Granville and once upon a time was employed by the late General William H. Hughes. She took care of his two oldest children, both girls, when the Hughes residence stood on the site of the present Pember library and museum building.

When Mr. and Mrs. Griffith O. Jones married, Oct. 2, 1897, she gave up her work with the Hughes family and started housekeeping. Mrs.Jones was born June 23, 1872, When she was three years old, she accompanied her parents on a trip to Wales. When the family returned they lived in Northfield, Vermont, fora time, but later returned to Granville. Her only surviving sister, Mrs. Anna Griffith lives in Hartford, Ct.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Griffith O. Jones: Hugh O. Jones, telegraph operator with the Delaware and Hudson railroad company at Westport, N.Y.; Verna E. Thomas (Mrs. Owen W.) of Granville; Elizabeth Doris Delarm, Ticonderoga. There are six grandchildren, two girls, daughters of their son Hugh, and four boys, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Owen W. Thomas.

"When we married we lived on Factory street," said Mrs. Jones, "opposite the Munson and Tierney coal yard where James Roberts now lives, and we lived there about two years. We moved to our present home, 12 South street in 1899. We bought the house from my father after they built their home on the corner of South and West street."

"We can't find much fault" added Griff Jones, "We have been feeling pretty well and there hasn't been a death in this house since we moved in." Mrs. Jones who had been resting on a couch said that while she had been troubled with sciatica this past winter she looked for better things for the coming summer and for warm weather.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones had nothing but the highest praise for Granville and its people. Mr. Jones had been away but for a short time from Granville during his 45 years' stay here. During the World war he was employed in Rome, New York., for a few months while in the slate quarries were shut down in this area. "Its the first and only place where I ever earned $100 a month." said Mr. Jones " and yet I preferres to be back in Granville."

Granville Sentinel ~ August 25th, 1993.