30th Generation

244. John Chandler GRIGGS Jr. was born on 23 February 1851 in Fayston Township, Washington County, VT.^44,78,94,168 (His birth date is listed as 25 Feb 1851 in the LDS Family Search records.)

In the Vermont Historical Society library are letters from John C. Jr. to his uncle Roswell. He wrote mostly about his family and local events in Waterbury, Barre and Montpelier, including a December 17, 1927 account of the November flood of the same year He appeared in the census in 1860 in Fayston Township, Washington County, VT.⁶⁶ He appeared in the census in 1870 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.⁹⁰ He resided in the household of Moses Knight and his occupation was listed as "Clerk in Shoe Store." Before 1880 John was a shoe store owner and, later, an insurance salesman in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.⁴⁴

"John C. Griggs Jr. (1851-1938), the only son of John C. and Lydia Bixby Griggs, was born in Fayston. He worked in a dry goods store in Waterbury for several years, and by 1892, owned a shoe store in the same town. He later went into the insurance business and worked for several companies in the Barre and Montpelier areas."

He appeared in the census in 1880 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.⁹⁸ His household was at 482 Stowe Street and his occupation was listed as "boot and shoe store." He appeared in the census in 1900 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.¹⁵³ His occupation was listed as "Insurance Agent." John appeared in the census in 1910 in Barre, Washington County, VT.¹⁷⁰ His household was at 39 Summer (?) Street and his occupation was listed as "Agent, Insurance." He appeared in the census in 1920 in Barre, Washington County, VT.¹⁷¹ He was listed as a "cousin" in the household of Mabel Bosworth, age 45, a widow, at 40 Perry Street. His occupation was listed as "Agent, Insurance." He appeared in the census in 1930 in Barre, Washington County, VT.¹⁷³ He was listed as a "Roomer" in the home of Mabel M. Bosworth at 40 Perry Street. He was a widower and his occupation was listed as "Agent, Insurance." John died on 9 July 1938 at the age of 87 in Montpelier, Washington County, VT.^44,168 Obituary Notes: "John Chandler Griggs,87, died at Montpelier early Sunday morning following a short illness. He was born in Fayston Feb. 25, 1851, the son of John Chandler and Lydia (Bixby) Griggs. His father died October 2, 1861, and for the next three years he lived with an older sister and her husband, Azro D. Bragg, who bought the home farm where his father had lived and died. In 1864, he went to live with his step-father, Earl Ward, who owned and carried on a large farm on what was known as 'Ward Hill' in South Duxbury.

December 4, 1867, he entered the employ of M. M. Knight, a dry goods and clothing merchant in Waterbury, and was in his employ for nine years of continuous service. It was while there he married Belle S. Hoadly, May 21, 1874, whose death occurred June 29, 1923.

His next business enterprise was in February of 1877, when he bought a shoe business in Waterbury and continued in it for 18 years, the store being in the Knight block of Stowe Street. With M. R. Demeritt of Waterbury he engaged in the maple sugar and syrup business in 1905, buying this product direct from the farmers and selling to parties in nearly every state of the union.

In 1899 he commenced work for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and continued with them seven years, the last six as assistant superintendent having charge of the Barre office. In February 1907 he was engaged as general agent by the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company of Hartford for Washington County with the office in Barre. Later, in March of 1916, he commenced work for McAllister & Kent of Barre, doing a general insurance business.

To Mr. and Mrs. Griggs were born two children, a daughter, Emeline, February 6, 1876, who died at the age of two and one-half years, and a son, the late Frank K. Griggs, who was born August 23, 1877, and who died at his home in Montpelier September 20, 1923. For 18 years, Mr. Griggs had a home with a cousin, Mrs. George Bosworth, at 40 Perry Street, Barre, going to Montpelier May 30 of this year to live with his daughter (in-law), Mrs. F. K. Griggs, at 95 East State Street. There were four sisters, Annie B. Bragg, Emily G. Taylor, Julia G. Parker, and Harriet H. Grandy, none of whom are living.

Surviving Mr. Griggs are two grandsons, Chandler B. Griggs of Washington, D.C., and Nelson S. Griggs, at present in Connecticut, both of whom are expected home for the funeral. There are two nieces, Flora Grandy Elliott of Manchester, and Miss Jessie Grandy and a nephew, Merton C. Grandy of Burlington.

Mr. Griggs had a long line of Revolutionary ancestors, who on the paternal side settled in Roxbury, Mass., his grandfather having come to Fayston in 1784. Stephen Griggs married Sara Chandler of Pomfret, Conn., in 1766, his family having come from Northamptonshire, England, in 1637, settling in Roxbury, Mass. He has been a member and a deacon of the Congregational Church in Barre, in which city he has lived, for 38 years. A service will be held in the Barre Congregational Church Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, with burial in the family lot in the Waterbury Cemetery." He was buried on 11 July 1938 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.^168,174 in the Hope Cemetery.

John Chandler GRIGGS Jr. and Belle S. HOADLEY were married on 21 May 1874 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.^{44,153,168,175} (According to the 1900 Census, they had no children; that was an error.) Belle S. HOADLEY, daughter of Artemas HOADLEY and Sarah Foote KELLOGG, was born in September 1854 in Vermont.^90,94,153 (Her surname was spelled "Hoadley" in the obituary of her husband, but it was listed as "Hoadly" in the Vermont Historical Museum records and in the 1870 Census, and as "Hoodley" in the LDS Family Search records.) She appeared in the census in 1860 in Duxbury, Washington County, VT.¹⁷⁴ She appeared in the census in 1870 in Duxbury, Washington County, VT.⁹⁰ She was living "at home" in the household of Sam and Emeline Sommervill. Truman "Hoadly," age 9, was living with her and is assumed to have been her brother. Belle appeared in the census in 1880 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.⁹⁸ She appeared in the census in 1900 in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.¹⁵³ She appeared in the census in 1910 in Barre, Washington County, VT.¹⁷⁰ Belle appeared in the census in 1920 in Barre, Washington County, VT.¹⁷¹ She died on 29 June 1923 at the age of 68 in Barre, Washington County, VT.^44,174 She was buried in Waterbury, Washington County, VT.¹⁷⁴ in the Hope Cemetery.

John Chandler GRIGGS Jr. and Belle S. HOADLEY had the following children: