Eliza Ann (Ward) Griffin (abt. 1845 - 1940)

Born about Feb 1845 in Jefferson, Indiana, United States

Wife of John William Griffin — married 3 Sep 1866 in Jefferson, Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Sep 1940 at about age 95 in Madison, Jefferson, Indiana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Marc Griffin [send private message]

Biography

Lida (Ward) Griffin was a Hoosier.

The first confirmed record of Eliza Ward is when she appeared in the 1860 census. She was living in the household of John Jackson and his wife Matilda Jackson in Shelby Township, Jefferson County, Indiana.^[1]

It could have been that the Jacksons were involved in a guardianship or an adoption. However, most likely she may have been simply farmed out to the Jacksons, as was often the case with parents who had numerous children. See the Research Notes below.

The Jackson's oldest son Harry Henry Jackson married Nancy Catherine Griffin. Eliza would later marry Nancy's brother John W. Griffin on September 3, 1866 in Jefferson County, Indiana.^[2]

She went by the name Lida as is indicated in many records and her grave marker.

Their children were...

1. James Clinton Griffin (1867 - 1959)
2. Joseph Franklin Griffin (1869 - 1938)
3. Eliza Bell (Griffin) Sappenfield (1872 - 1950)
4. Theodore Griffin (1874 - 1930)
5. Mary Ann (Griffin) Vanosdol (1877 - 1952)
6. Ellen Beulah (Griffin) Shanks (1880 - 1946).

In the 1870 census Eliza (age 24) was in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States.^[3]

In the 1880 census Eliza (age 31), Keeps House, was the wife of Jno. W. Griffin in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States.^[4]

In the 1900 census Eliza (age 55) was the wife of J W Griffin in Shelby Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States.^[5]

In 1904, their house and barn were destroyed by fire and they lost almost everything they owned.^[6]

In the 1910 census Eliza (age 59) was the wife of John W Griffin in Milton, Jefferson, Indiana, United States.^[7]

In the 1920 census Eliza (age 68) was the married head of household in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States.^[8]

In the 1940 census Lyda (age 92) was the widowed head of household in Madison, Madison Township, Jefferson, Indiana Territory, United States.^[9]

Lida died on September 5, 1940 in Madison, Jefferson, Indiana aged 89.^[10] She is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Canaan, Indiana.^[11]

Research Notes

Who were her parents?

The only other nearby Ward family was that of Asher Ward, a Baptist minister. He and his family appear in the 1850 census of Shelby Township.^[12] It is unlikely that Eliza was his daughter.

There was a Polly Ward who owned land in 1818 in Section 15 of Milton Township very close to the land of Ralph Griffin, the great-grandfather of J.W. Griffin, her husband. Was she an ancestor of Lida (Ward) Griffin?

When was she born?

Below is a list of the various ages given to her.

• 1860 Census, age 9
• 1870 Census, age 24
• 1880 Census, age 31
• 1900 Census, age 55 - Birth date is given as Feb. 1845
• 1910 Census, age 59
• 1920 Census, age 68
• 1930 Census, age ? (not yet located)
• 1940 Census, age 92
• 1940 Death Certificate, age 95
• 1940 Grave marker, age 90

Death Certificate Errors

On Lida's death certificate, her daughter, Belle Brown, was the informant. Belle incorrectly gave her father's parents as her mother's parents. Additionally, Belle stated that Lida's date of birth was unknown and she estimated her age to be 95.^[13]

Person of same name

Lida, a resident of Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1900, and married to William Griffin, should not be confused with Lida Griffin, also a resident of Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1900, and married to a William Griffin. The subject of this profile is Caucasian, the other is African-American.

Sources

1. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
   citing Page: 118; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Digital film/folder number: 005165840; FHL microfilm: 803270; Image number: 123; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01711-5
   FamilySearch Record: M4NF-1SS (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBY-N5D
   Eliza Ward (9) in Shelby Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
2. ↑ Marriage: "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019"
   citing Jefferson, Indiana, United States, Marriage License, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004714784
   FamilySearch Record: VBQP-3JF (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 9392-HLSX-41 Image number 00891
   Eliza Ann Ward marriage to John W Griffin on 3 Sep 1866 in Jefferson, Indiana, United States.
3. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870"
   citing Page: 10; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 10; Digital film/folder number: 004263400; FHL microfilm: 000545827; Image number: 521; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01431-9
   FamilySearch Record: MXFS-S9X (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6S9W-481
   Eliza Griffin (24) in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
4. ↑ 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880"
   citing Volume: 1; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T9; Affiliate Line Number: 00086; Digital film/folder number: 005157829; FHL microfilm: 1254288; Image number: 22; Sheet number: 202; Sheet letter: D
   FamilySearch Record: MH9D-H3V (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYB6-96DF
   Eliza W Griffin (31), wife, Keeps House, in household of Jno. W. Griffin (36) in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana, United States.
5. ↑ 1900 Census: "United States Census, 1900"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 42; Digital film/folder number: 004118627; FHL microfilm: 1240380; Image number: 1015; Sheet number: 5; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N00781-4
   FamilySearch Record: MM1P-996 (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DC19-N5X
   Eliza A Griffen (55), wife, in household of J W Griffin (56 years) in Shelby Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
6. ↑ See attached newspaper article
7. ↑ 1910 Census: "United States Census, 1910"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T624; Digital film/folder number: 004971217; FHL microfilm: 1374372; Image number: 341; Sheet number: 1; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03356-6
   FamilySearch Record: MKP4-JWP (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRNT-5DZ
   Eliza A Griffin (59), wife, in household of John W Griffin (66) in Milton, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
8. ↑ 1920 Census: "United States Census, 1920"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Line: 80; Digital film/folder number: 004964865; FHL microfilm: 1820441; Image number: 874; Sheet number: 2; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01924-8
   FamilySearch Record: MF7B-SDC (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9R68-K63
   Eliza Griffin (68), married head of household in Milton Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
9. ↑ 1940 Census: "United States Census, 1940"
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 69; Digital film/folder number: 005459814; Image number: 109; Sheet number: 5; Sheet letter: B
   FamilySearch Record: V1TF-NKQ (accessed 16 September 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89MB-N482
   Lyda Griffin (92), widowed head of household in Madison, Madison Township, Jefferson, Indiana, United States. Born in Indiana.
10. ↑ See attached Death Certificate image
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8349935/lida-griffin: accessed 16 September 2023), memorial page for Lida Ward Griffin (1850–1940), Find a Grave Memorial ID 8349935, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Canaan, Jefferson County, Indiana, USA.
12. ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: Shelby, Jefferson, Indiana; Roll: 154; Page: 221b
13. ↑ See attached Death Certificate image

See also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 18 August 2020, 01:56), entry for Elizabeth Ann Ward(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:9XBW-JQ7); contributed by various users.