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JOHN P. GRIFFIN. The business of farming comprises among many other points the consideration of what crops to grow, how to grow them to the best advantage, whether for sale or for use on the farm. It brings out more than anything else the business acumen of the farmer, and is more or less the very key note to success or failure. A man may be the best of farmer so far as raising crops and harvesting them is concerned, but it would avail him nothing if he had no market for what he had raised, or, in other words, if he had raised the wrong crop. John P. Griffin is one of the farmers of Republic township, Greene county, who seems to be very successful in raising the right crop, in the right manner, at the right time.
Mr. Griffin was born on August 7, 1863, in Iowa. He is a son of John and Ann (Gilmore) Griffin, the former born in 1840, in Ireland, and the latter born in 1842, in New York. The father of our subject was brought to the United States by his parents when three years of age, the family locating in Illinois, where he grew to manhood and was educated and where he remained until his marriage when he removed to Iowa, but after spending a few years there came to Greene county, Missouri, where he resided until his death, having lived on his farm from about 1870 until 1910.
Thirteen children, seven sons, and six daughters, have been born to John Griffin and wife, named as follows: John P. of this sketch; Joseph M., born in 1865, lives in Ashland, Oregon, married Mary Starr of that state; James P., born in 1879, is single and lives in Baker, Oregon; Frank F., born in 1881, lives in Springfield, married Anna Norfleet, there in 1901, and they had four children--Paul, born in 1902; Elizabeth, born in 1904; and Mildred born in 1911; one child died in infancy. Thomas T., who lives in Carterville, Missouri, married Mary Daniels of that place, and they have two children, Emmet and Audrey; Mark, born in 1877, is single, lives on the home place which he operates; M. E., born in 1880, is single and also works on the home farm; Mary A., born in Redwing, Minnesota in 1862, died in 1893; Sarah Katherine, a twin sister of John P., married J. W. Robinson, a brother of our subject's wife, in 1891; they live in New Mexico and have three children--Elizabeth, Paul and Barnard. Margaret Elizabeth, born October 13, 1867, is single and lives on the homestead; Cora Alice, born on May 9, 1870, married C. C, Humphreys in 1891, and they have had four children--Erma, Maude, Mary, who died in 1905, and Cora Alice whose death occurred in 1898. Rose, born in 1874, died in 1896; Bertha Ellen, born in 1871, died in 1899. These children were given good common school educations. Joseph M. was of musical talent. Mary had a great local reputation as a nurse and her death was the result of service to others, she having contracted typhoid fever while nursing a neighbor afflicted with that disease. The entire family has always borne excellent reputations and are well thought of throughout this part of the county or wherever they are known.
John P. Griffin grew to manhood on the home farm and was a good student in the schools of his neighborhood. He has devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits and paid considerable attention to stock raising. His well cultivated and well improved farm in Republic township contained one hundred and twenty acres and he has a comfortable home. He was married in 1895 to Mary Robinson, who was born in 1863, in Greene county. She received a good education in the public schools. She is a daughter of Anthony and Hettie Robinson, of Republic township, Greene county.
Two children have been born to our subject and wife--Leo, born on July25, 1897; and Bertha Frances, born on June 22, 1899, died when seven years of age.
Politically, Mr. Griffin is a Democrat. He is a member of the Catholic church.
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