Pauline Griffin

Our precious mother, Nora Pauline Hurst Griffin age 90 years passed away Jan. 4, 2014 in Providence, Utah at Cache Valley Assisted Living. She was born Sept. 2, 1923 in Pawnee, Oklahoma to Waldo Ross Hurst and Nora Hendricks Tippetts. Mom was the fifth of their six children. Her father passed away in 1928 and a year and a half later in 1930 her mother moved the family from Oklahoma to Smithfield, Utah.
Pauline was a talented gymnast from an early age and performed half time shows for High School Basket Ball games and other events. She was proud of the fact that she could do back flips the entire length of the gym. She was also talented in dancing and when first married she taught dance lessons. Pauline was honored to be chosen as one of the first Smithfield Health Day Queens.
Pauline graduated from North Cache High in 1941. It was while at North Cache, in band, that she met and fell in love with Harlow R. Griffin. Mom played clarinet and dad played the trombone. Mom has always told us she fell in love with dad because he always wore the nicest sweaters. With WWII looming they decided to get married just in case dad was called to war. They married Dec. 19, 1941 in the Logan Temple. Not long after that dad was called to serve his country and mom was left here to raise their first daughter, Suzanne, all alone while she fearfully and anxiously awaited her husband’s return. At the end of the war mom and dad bought a home in Newton, Utah where they added 6 more children to the family, Cindy, Jill, Ted, Penny, Kelly and Angela.
Over the years Pauline was active in both her community and her church where she held various callings and positions on all levels from the 1940’s to the 1990’s. As a young mother she was active in 4-H, PTA, political organizations, Relief Society, church Gold and Green Balls, Road Shows. She helped make winning displays for the Cache County Fair and made bake items to sell at Church Bazaars. It seemed that mom always had a hand in whatever was going on around her. In her later years she negotiated for better benefits for teachers, taught the In Service lessons at church and was always happy to make a difference where ever she could. We are told in life that our words are only as good as the actions behind them. In this mom shined as her words were wise and true and were always followed by actions of honesty and love. This personality trait endeared her to her many lifelong friends, associates and especially all the grandchildren who adored her so much.
Besides being a wife and mother one of Pauline’s greatest callings in life was when she started working for Cache County School District in 1969. Almost all of her years teaching were spent at Lewiston Elementary in Lewiston, Utah. Mom was a master teacher whose undying dedication, patience and love blessed the lives of so many. In return she was dearly loved and respected by the teachers, staff and all the children she worked with.
Left to treasure Pauline’s memory are her children Suzanne (David) Zlotnick of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cindy Christensen of Murray, Utah, Jill (Douglas) Thorson, Penny (Dan) Douglass, Kelly (Heidi) Griffin all of Newton, Utah and Angela (Richard) Kern of Talent, Oregon. She is also survived by her beloved sister, Rosslyn (Duane) Parker of Newton, Utah, 18 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by both her parents, Ross and Nora Hurst, her husband, Harlow Griffin, a son, Ted Griffin, a grandson, Jeremy Payne, a sister, Kathleen Meikle, and brothers, Waldo Hurst, Winfield Hurst and John Hurst.
The family would like to thank Access Home Care and Hospice, their nurse Diane Crockett as well as all the CNA’s and the staff of Cache Valley Assisted Living for the kind and loving care they gave to mom while she was a resident there.
A viewing will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wed. evening Jan. 8th at the Allen-Hall Mortuary located at 34 East Center Street in Logan, Utah. There will also be a viewing Jan. 9th prior to the funeral from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the Newton Ward LDS Church located at 90 S. 100 W. Newton, Utah. The memorial service will follow at 1:00 PM in the chapel. Burial will be in the Newton Cemetery where she will be laid to rest next to her eternal companion and sweetheart, Harlow.
Knowing that education was so important to mom, in lieu of flowers the family would appreciate contributions be made in her honor to either Lewiston Elementary School at 107 East 200 South, Lewiston, Utah 84320 for the construction of their new school building, or, to the LDS Perpetual Education Fund.
Mom it comforts us to know you’re now resting in God’s loving care and surrounded by your loved ones.