Submitted by: Patricia (Griggs) Stricklin

James Neil/Neal Griggs, Marshall County, Alabama.

James Neil/Neal Griggs
b: May 19, 1854 Fayette County, Georgia
Married: Feb.12, 1879 in Fayette County, Georgia
d: Jan. 29, 1916 of pneumonia at his residence in Oleander, Marshall County, Al.
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Occupation: Farmer
Parents: Rhodum M. Griggs & Rebecca Jane Stewart (She was his second wife)

Spouse: Sarah Elizabeth Bowers

b: Nov. 28, 1862 Fayette County, Georgia
d: Nov. 27, 1940 Marshall County, Al.
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Parents: Levi Bates Bowers & Delilah "Liley"
Ward

They left Georgia and moved westward into Alabama in about 1888. He acquired a patent for 162.06 acres of land in the NE Section of Morgan County, Al. near Woodland Mills. They lived there for a number of years before permanently settling on 158 and 75/100 acres of land in Section 15 in Oleander, Marshall County, Al. (Part of this property still remains in the Griggs family thru a cousin).

Sarah Elizabeth Griggs petitioned to Homestead the property on Oct. 21, 1916.

My father, Owen Griggs, purchased 40 acres of land, which was adjacent to the property that James Neal Griggs owned and at some point, according to the deeds there was some issue involved over where the property was. The 40 acres of land in question had been patented many yrs. ago and later James Black mortgaged this land to Walter & Beatrice Mock on March 12, 1937 (Book 383, pg. 357) in Morgan County, though the land was in Marshall County, Al.,  (Book 156, pg. 392) shows that this mortgage was transferred and forclosed. This 40 acres of land was once known as the "Mason Shumate Forty" and was sold several times down thru the years. An affidavit was filed and the records from the books mentioned above proved that James Neal Griggs never owned this particular 40 acres which was adjacent to his property.

Children:
1. Rhodum Levi Griggs

b: August 05,1880 Fayette County, Ga.
Married: July 20, 1910
d: April 15,1952 Gadsden, Etowah County, Al.
Buried: Forrest Cemetery
Occupation:
Spouse: Dovey/Dovie Nesbitt
d: Nov. 29,1911 of consumption (TB) in Anniston, Al.
Married: March 08, 1914 in Huntsville, Madison County, Al.
Spouse: Maude Turner
 b: Nov. 1, 1893
d: Mar. 11, 1985 Gadsden, Etowah County, Al.
Buried: Forrest Cemetery
3 Children:
A. living daughter
B. Bertha Mae "Buff" Griggs
 b: June 25, 1918
 d: June 15, 1987 Gadsden, Etowah County, Al.
 She worked 25 yrs. for the law firm of Copeland & Copeland.
She was a Methodist.
C. Edna Earle Griggs  b: Sept. 07, 1926
 d: Sept. 25, 1992 San Diego, Calif.

2. Bell Griggs

 b: April 25, 1882 Georgia
 d: May 25, 1882  Georgia

3. Pearl Mae "Pearlie" Griggs

 b: Jan. 19, 1884 Georgia
 Married: Dec. 23, 1908
 d: April 09, 1969 Alabama
 Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Spouse: Henry Wade Ferguson
d: Texas

Pearlie and Wade lived in Goetz and Winkler, Texas. While living in Texas she was biten by a rabid fox and had to under go rabie shots. Story goes that everyone living around them struck oil except Pearlie & Wade. After Wade's death Pearlie returned to Alabama to be near her family.

No children.

4. Nannie Cora Griggs

b: Oct. 10, 1887 Douglas County, Georgia
Married: Dec. 4, 1904 in Union Grove, Marshall County,Al.
d: Oct. 17, 68 Al.
Buried: Arab Memorial Cemetery
Spouse: Joseph Hilliard "Joe" Morrow
  b: Nov. 2, 1872 Douglas County, Georgia
 d: July 24, 1956 Al.
  Buried: Arab Memorial Cemetery
4 Children:

  A. Joseph Ralph Morrow

b: Mar. 3, 1906 Union Grove, Marshall County,Al.
d: April 13, 1968 Arab,Marshall County, Al.
Buried: Arab Memorial Cemetery

  B. Pearl Morrow

b: Feb. 6, 1910 Union Grove, Al.
d: Sept. 27, 1988 Fulton County, Ga.

  C. Clarence Hilliard Morrow

b: July 18, 1915 Union Grove, Marshall County, Al.
d: Feb. 11, 1979 Fulton County, Ga.
(He was mentally handicapped). He never married.

  D. Herman Richard Morrow

b: Jan. 1, 1917 Arab, Marshall County, Al.
Married: Jan. 5, 1936 Arab, Marshall County, Al.
d: June 6, 1997 East Point, Fulton County,Ga.
Spouse: Vivian Catherine Price
b: Apr. 28, 1913 Arab, Marshall County, Al.
d: May 1, 1994 Newnan, Coweta County, Ga.

5. James Samuel Griggs

b: July 14, 1889 Morgan County, Al.
Married: May 29, 1914 Marshall County, Al. by Archie Black, Justice of the Peace
d: Oct. 20, 1966 of natural causes in Oleander, Marshall County, Al. (The Coroner told the family that he probably died from a heart attack).
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Occupation: Farmer

The story goes that after Jim married Beulah he was given two farms from his father which he gambled away.

He never had a music lesson in his life yet he owned a beautiful violin. After everyone had gone to bed, he would sometimes take his violin out to the front steps and play for an hour or more. The music he played was always hauntingly beautiful. These music melodies must have been handed down.

He seemed to have been born with knowledge of mechanics and carpentry. He could fix anything or make anything.

Spouse: Beulah Delilah Sheppard
b: June 26, 1894 probably in Randolph County,Al.
d: Apr. 09, 1982  Arab, Marshall County, Al. of heart failure
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
She loved her family dearly.
She enjoyed quilting and canning.
She was a member of the Church of Christ at Brocks Chapel for many yrs.
13 Children:
  A. Lee Arron Griggs b: Jan. 12, 1915 Oleander, Marshall County,Al.
He married Methel Florine Seymour.
d: Oct. 1, 1973 in a tractor accident in Marshall County,Al.
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Occupation: Farmer

Lee bought the "Griggs" homeplace that was once James Neal's. He tore down the old house and built another house in itsplace. He was a member of the Church of Christ at BrocksChapel. He loved to play music on the fiddle, mandolinand harmonica.

Spouse: Methel Florine Seymour
b: June 25, 1921 Morgan County, Al.
d: Jan. 22, 1953
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Parents: Oliver Greenbury Seymour & Methal/Methel Elizabeth Archer
They had six children.

In April of 1965 Lee married Mary (Shaver) Quillin. (This was the second marriage for the both of them)

Spouse: Mary (Shaver) Quillin b: Apr. 18, 1928 Al.
d: Nov. 10, 1999 Huntsville, Madison County, Al.
Buried: Mt. Olive Cemetery # 2
Parents: Irvin Shaver &
She was a member of the Church of Christ at Brocks Chapel for many years.
  B. Mary Lois Griggs
b: June 4, 1916
She married Woodrow Wilson Narrell, Sr.
d: July 28, 1974 Cullman County, Al.
Buried: Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery
(When Lois was a teenager, she had a crush on Woodrow).
Lois had many beautiful flowers around her house and in the yard.
Spouse: Woodrow Wilson Narrell, Sr.
b: Sept. 19, 1911
d: April 13, 1980 Cullman County, Al.
Buried: Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery
Occupation:
Parents: William Samuel "Sam/Sammie" Narrell & Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Craig
They had seven children.
  C. living daughter
  D. James Briar Griggs
b: April 17, 1920
d: July 22, 1921 from rickets
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
  E. Owen Lafayette Griggs
b: Sept. 17, 1922 Oleander, Marshall County, Al.
Married: January 31, 1948 in Cullman County, Al.
d: Sept. 04, 2002 of lung cancer at his residence in Oleander, Marshall County, Al.
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
Occupation:

He enlisted as a volunteer for active service in the United States Army on Oct. 29, 1940 in Decatur, Al. He was promoted from private to corporal of Company A of the 94th Antitank Battalion on April 29, 1941. He was temporarily promoted from private first class to Tech. 5th Grade of Co. A of the 894th Tank Battalion on June 13, 1942. Many of his records were lost but his known battles and campaigns were in Tunisia, Naple-Foggia, Rome-Arno. He was honorably discharged on May 28, 1945. He received the following decorations and citations: European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with 3 Bronze Stars, American Defense Service Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal

Spouse: Helen Smith
b: December 9, 1929 in Banyon Bottom near Hazel Green,Madison County, Al.
Parents: Wilburn Edward Smith & Sadie OzellSharp
  F. living daughter
  G. Pearlie Mae Griggs
b: 20 Oct. 1926 Joppa, Al.
d: Nov. 4, 1995 Lake Havasu, Mohave County, Arizona
Buried: Lake Havasu Memorial Gardens
Occupation: Beautician
She married three times.
  H. living son
  I. living son
  J. Travis Griggs
b: April 30, 1933
d: May 16, 1989 Huntsville, Madison County, Al.
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
His (living) wife and him were divorced but they had two children.

He served as a PFC in the United States Army in the Korea conflict. He was a Medic during the Korea Police Action.

  K. living daughter
  L. living daughter
  M. living son
6. Everett Otto "Evvie/Elve" Griggs
b: July 15, 1894
Married: 19 Dec. 1912
d: Nov. 25, 1968
Buried: Mt. View Cemetery
Spouse: Carrie Black
b: Dec. 11, 1893
d: Mar. 12, 1962
Buried: Mt. View Cemetery
They had three children.

There were several women in his life, some he married and some he did not; he had children by each one of them.

7. Jesse Clarence "Jess" Griggs
b: July 21, 1896
Married: Hattie Young
d: Dec. 8, 1973 Arab, Marshall County, Al.
Buried: Arab Memorial Cemetery
Occupation: Chiroprator
Spouse: Hattie Young
b: Apr. 4, 1898
d: Feb. 21, 1973
Buried: Arab Memorial Cemetery
Parents: Robert L. Young & Nancy K.
They had one child:
Arnold Orville Clifford "Cliff" Griggs
b: Aug. 28, 1914
d: 1998 Scottsboro, Al.
Buried: Old Rice Cemetery
8. Mackie Obie Griggs b: Sept. 4, 1898
d: Nov. 24, 1898
Buried: Oleander Methodist Church Cemetery
9. Dovie Griggs
b: Oct. 29, 1899
Married: 08 August 1913
d: March 25, 1949
Buried: Church of Christ Cemetery (Hebron Community)
Spouse: George Harley Whisenant
b: 25 Feb. 1894
d: 22 Sept. 1978
Church of Christ Cemetery (Hebron Community)
10. William Thomas "Will" Griggs
b: Oct. 20, 1902
d: July 16, 1987 Salinas, California
Occupation: Military career in the United States Army.

(He decided early in life that he did not want to be a farmer so he went to Huntsville and joined the US Army at a very young age). He and his wife did not live on the army base but lived in town several blocks from Cheaspeake Bay. The story goes that he trained or helped train thousands of soldiers especially during WWII.  He rose to the highest rank possible for an enlisted man. He stayed in the army until retirement time when he moved to California and became a prison guard at Alcatraz.

Spouse: Emma Holt
b: Sept. 27, 1902
d: Dec. 1977 Salinas, California
They had one son.
11. Unknown child
12. Unknown child

Note: They had two other children, names, dates of birth & death unknown. I just recently discover the third unknown child of their's which was Bell Griggs.

Patricia (Griggs) Stricklin