Mary ran away from her southwestern Iowa home at age 15 to escape her highly religious parents, who were of Scottish protestant ancestry and brought her up strictly. She was an avowed atheist (she was also an ardent Republican politically, showing how much the parties have changed over the years). During her trek, which was in the winter, she fell off her horse into a creek. Later she is credited with being the first woman in Omaha with a driver's license. Perhaps that is why. She boarded with an Omaha doctor who patronized many people and became a nurse at a hospital he ran (the hospital failed in the Depression). The Omaha paper instead offered the euphemism "Omaha resident since 1903," in an article written on her in 1974.
Despite this past she was seen as a very happy person who always looked on the bright side of life. She would reconcile with her parents by the time she had her own children, Adrienne, Paul, Jim, and Jean, the last of whom died in 2010. She remained close to her doctor patron until his death and often took her four children on long road trips in her Model A, further evidence of her nomadic tendencies. Among the places they visited were San Francisco, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Columbia River Valley. Once on a trip to Estes Park she fended off a hungry bear with a flashlight. She was something of a green thumb as well. Far into old age, and no matter the weather, she would walk long distances around the neighborhood picking up sticks and other clutter. She would always carry a deck of cards and a bouncing ball with her on her walks, and she would bounce the ball at strangers. She would often get into trouble at Republican Women's meetings for shuffling the cards loudly during speeches. She also liked to do yard work, and maintained two cherry trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden in her yard. When numerous family reunions were conducted at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in the 1970s and early 1980s, she took on the role of beloved family matriarch.
Mary was short, standing an even 5 feet tall. She lived her last months with her son Jim in Colorado. It is probable she had Alzheimer's, based on her daughter Adrienne's diary.
Despite this past she was seen as a very happy person who always looked on the bright side of life. She would reconcile with her parents by the time she had her own children, Adrienne, Paul, Jim, and Jean, the last of whom died in 2010. She remained close to her doctor patron until his death and often took her four children on long road trips in her Model A, further evidence of her nomadic tendencies. Among the places they visited were San Francisco, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Columbia River Valley. Once on a trip to Estes Park she fended off a hungry bear with a flashlight. She was something of a green thumb as well. Far into old age, and no matter the weather, she would walk long distances around the neighborhood picking up sticks and other clutter. She would always carry a deck of cards and a bouncing ball with her on her walks, and she would bounce the ball at strangers. She would often get into trouble at Republican Women's meetings for shuffling the cards loudly during speeches. She also liked to do yard work, and maintained two cherry trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden in her yard. When numerous family reunions were conducted at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in the 1970s and early 1980s, she took on the role of beloved family matriarch.
Mary was short, standing an even 5 feet tall. She lived her last months with her son Jim in Colorado. It is probable she had Alzheimer's, based on her daughter Adrienne's diary.
Mary ran away from her southwestern Iowa home at age 15 to escape her highly religious parents, who were of Scottish protestant ancestry and brought her up strictly. She was an avowed atheist (she was also an ardent Republican politically, showing how much the parties have changed over the years). During her trek, which was in the winter, she fell off her horse into a creek. Later she is credited with being the first woman in Omaha with a driver's license. Perhaps that is why. She boarded with an Omaha doctor who patronized many people and became a nurse at a hospital he ran (the hospital failed in the Depression). The Omaha paper instead offered the euphemism "Omaha resident since 1903," in an article written on her in 1974.
Despite this past she was seen as a very happy person who always looked on the bright side of life. She would reconcile with her parents by the time she had her own children, Adrienne, Paul, Jim, and Jean, the last of whom died in 2010. She remained close to her doctor patron until his death and often took her four children on long road trips in her Model A, further evidence of her nomadic tendencies. Among the places they visited were San Francisco, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Columbia River Valley. Once on a trip to Estes Park she fended off a hungry bear with a flashlight. She was something of a green thumb as well. Far into old age, and no matter the weather, she would walk long distances around the neighborhood picking up sticks and other clutter. She would always carry a deck of cards and a bouncing ball with her on her walks, and she would bounce the ball at strangers. She would often get into trouble at Republican Women's meetings for shuffling the cards loudly during speeches. She also liked to do yard work, and maintained two cherry trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden in her yard. When numerous family reunions were conducted at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in the 1970s and early 1980s, she took on the role of beloved family matriarch.
Mary was short, standing an even 5 feet tall. She lived her last months with her son Jim in Colorado. It is probable she had Alzheimer's, based on her daughter Adrienne's diary.
Despite this past she was seen as a very happy person who always looked on the bright side of life. She would reconcile with her parents by the time she had her own children, Adrienne, Paul, Jim, and Jean, the last of whom died in 2010. She remained close to her doctor patron until his death and often took her four children on long road trips in her Model A, further evidence of her nomadic tendencies. Among the places they visited were San Francisco, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Columbia River Valley. Once on a trip to Estes Park she fended off a hungry bear with a flashlight. She was something of a green thumb as well. Far into old age, and no matter the weather, she would walk long distances around the neighborhood picking up sticks and other clutter. She would always carry a deck of cards and a bouncing ball with her on her walks, and she would bounce the ball at strangers. She would often get into trouble at Republican Women's meetings for shuffling the cards loudly during speeches. She also liked to do yard work, and maintained two cherry trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden in her yard. When numerous family reunions were conducted at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in the 1970s and early 1980s, she took on the role of beloved family matriarch.
Mary was short, standing an even 5 feet tall. She lived her last months with her son Jim in Colorado. It is probable she had Alzheimer's, based on her daughter Adrienne's diary.
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See more Griffith or McClenathan memorials in:
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- Nebraska Griffith or McClenathan
- USA Griffith or McClenathan
- Find a Grave Griffith or McClenathan
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