Emmaline Martha Griggs

Emmaline Martha Griggs died Friday at the VNA Hospice Unit at Geisinger CMC. She was the widow of Howard G. Griggs Sr., who died September 3, 2011.

Born in Scranton on May 12, 1915, she was one of the 13 children of Anna J. Bartlow Rodney and Alpheus A. Rodney of Court Street, Scranton. Although not the youngest, she was the last surviving sibling. As a student in the Scranton schools, she attended North Scranton Junior High and was graduated from Central High School and the Powell School of Business. She worked in the credit office of the Globe Store and, after her children were raised, she worked for the Kehrli Oil Company in Factoryville.

She was a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Singers Guild, a member and president of the United Methodist Women and the Abington Women's Club. She and Howard were active in the Couples Class and instrumental in starting the MYF at Clarks Summit Methodist. She was involved with the Dalton Women's Club, the Federation of Women's Clubs and the PTA. Though she lived at Allied Terrace for the past few years, she and Howard lived for a while at New Seasons, where she was the first president of its Senior Living Council and the emcee for many of its special programs.

As a volunteer, her special niche was her devotion to the Church Women United of Northeastern Pennsylvania. This group was ecumenical in purpose, and one of its first events was a luncheon on Holy Thursday for women of Our Lady of the Snows and Clarks Summit United Methodist churches. Future years brought women from many churches together for a unique spiritualism. Her terms as president of that organization and the Valiant Woman Award she was given by the organization led to her being featured as "Northeast Woman" in The Scranton Times-Tribune on February 5, 1995.

Emma loved to travel; she and Howard had the good fortune to spend some time in 42 states. There could not be a more patriotic person; she swelled with pride at any opportunity to tell of her travels across this wonderful nation. The final word in any of those occasions, however, was that our own Pennsylvania was the most beautiful of all. Her pride and sense of beauty poured forth in the many paintings she created when she started painting at age 70. While travel, painting and a good game of bridge were among her favorite pastimes, none could compare to the joy she had as she cooked, baked and preserved the fruits and vegetables Howard raised in the family garden at their home of 60 years in Glenburn.

Surviving are three sons, Howard Jr. and wife, Judy, Clarks Summit; Phillip and wife, Tia, Duryea; and Joseph and wife, Ruth, Ransom; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 72 years, Howard G. Griggs Sr.; and five children, Phyllis, David, Jonathan, Richard and Louise Ann. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Thomas, William, Guy, Chauncey, Alpheus and Eric Rodney; and sisters, Amanda Rounds, Jessie Keisling, Frances Shiffer, Dorothy West, Louise Yaple and Mildred Cook.

The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Clarks Summit United Methodist Church, 1310 Morgan Highway, with services by the Reverend Judy Wanck, pastor. Interment will be in Abington Hills Cemetery. Friends may call today from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State Street, Clarks Summit. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Clarks Summit United Methodist Church or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.