Doris Griffin

Doris Clark Griffin passed away on Friday, January 4, 2019 in Sterling, VA. Doris was born on December 23, 1923 in the small community of West, Texas to James Lataine and Emma Louise Benkendorfer Fowler. She had 2 brothers, James Lataine Jr. (JL), and Toy Edgar.

Doris graduated from H. M. King High School in Kingsville, TX where she graduated with honors for her high-grade point average. She attended college in Corpus Christi, TX for a year and then married Archer Heath Clark. Doris spent most of her life in Kingsville with Archer, where they had 2 children, David Archer and Doris Diane (Leadbetter). Doris worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad as an accounting clerk at the General Office in downtown Kingsville. The railroad office moved from Kingsville in the early 1950s and she and Archer bought and ran the Dairy Queen on Angle Road. During this time Doris and Archer also bought some land on Angle Road and he developed and ran the Angle Road Trailer Park for several years. Archer passed in 1961 from a heart attack after 17 years together and for a while, Doris continued operating the DQ and then sold it.

She later married Russell Griffin and, though they continued to live in Kingsville, they purchased a 120-acre farm near Alice, TX. She loved going to the farm and helped feed, birth, brand, corral, and raise cattle. She loved to ride her horse at the farm. They had 29 years together until his death from cancer. Doris had a caretaker's heart; she lovingly cared for 2 husbands through good times and through lingering illnesses. She did this gladly and without complaint.

Archer and Doris were founding members of College View Baptist Church in Kingsville. Doris had a strong belief in God and was a prayer warrior when she felt God's intervention was needed. She was an active member of the church holding many committee chairs and she provided financial assistance to the church and to college students who feel on hard times. She allowed several students to stay at her home while they attended college. She continued working for the church until she moved to Sterling, VA in 2013.

Throughout Doris' life, she was not afraid to undertake new situations or try new things. She worked at the First Christian Church in Kingsville as the secretary to the Pastor at that time, Martin Pike, and she loved this job. In the 60s she also worked for the draft board in the Kingsville office and it bothered her that she was drafting men who would be sent off to serve in Viet Nam.

One of her favorite hobbies was sewing and she always had a project going on her sewing machine. She loved to meet new people and was active in greeting "snowbirds" when they arrived in Kingsville for the winter. She was involved in domino games, mostly 42, and could hold her own with anyone. She loved feeding birds in her backyard and she always had feeders hanging from the old clothes line. She was particularly fond of hummingbirds and had feeders hung in front of several windows.

She is survived by her youngest brother, Toy, and her 2 children, 4 grandchildren, Robert, Jennifer, Charles, and Heather and 5 greatgrandchildren.

A memorial service will be held for Doris at the University Baptist Church at 1324 N. Armstrong in Kingsville on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 11:30 AM.

Services are entrusted to Turcotte-Piper Mortuary, 205 General Cavazos Blvd. Kingsville, Texas 78363.

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