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Note: Cornelius Owen "Bill" Griffin was a rig builder, building many of the early oil well rigs in Texas during the hay day of the early Texas Oil boom in the 20s. He was known as a fine and fast carpenter-a skilled craftsman. He met Oddia Young (daughter of Augusta Dechaumes and granddaughter of the Francois Dechaumes and Rosalie Pillot very early/prominent families of Houston) at a boarding house where she worked. Because her great grandfather Michael Dechaumes owned a boarding house, I think this is probably the boarding house where they met. They were married on January 12, 1914. He registered for the draft in September of 1918 and recorded himself as being a Rig Builder for Humble Oil company and was residing in Goose Creek and married to Oddia. They had eight children, however only seven lived into childhood (David Owen was born on January 9, 1920 but died 2 days later). My aunt Odessa remembers her father as having a fun sense of humor. But, Cornelius also had a drinking problem and so the family often suffered hardships due to issues related his drinking. Cornelius also suffered from siezures and headaches after an accident while building a rig which came down on him and hit his head. After the accident, his behavior became more irradic. Sime time around 1929, Cornelius lost his job due to drinking and fighting. This began a long period of difficulty for the family which concluded in 1936. My Great Aunt Odessa remembers several times when the family was evicted as the family fell on hard times. At some point, the family became homeless and was living in "the woods" perhaps near Herman park. Aunt Odessa remembers that It was near the Fairmaid Bakery as that is where the children were sent to ask for leftover bread. Aunt Odessa remembers her mother cooking over an open camp fire and the children sleeping on the ground. At a certain point, Cornelius decided to move his family to Arkansas for work and to perhaps be near other relatives (Griffins and Wood family members who were thought to be residing near Columbia County Ark). So, the entire family (except the eldest child Cecil Cornelius who had joined the Tree Conservation Core) hobo'd in a refrigerated car to El Dorado Arkansas. They wrapped themselves in rolls of brown paper to keep warm. Once in Arkanasas, unfortunately things did not get better for the family. Cornelius had further issues with his alcoholism and the family was reduced to living in a one-room "shack" built by the railroad. Here the family literally ran out of money and food and was reduced to begging, stealing chickens or anything else they could get their hands on to eat. After a time, under a pretense that he was returning to Houston to find work and "would send for them", Cornelius abandoned the family. Shortly after, two of the older girls, Mattie and Dorothy ran away. Some time later, the girls returned but Mattie was taken to the hospital and died from exposure/pneumonia. Oddia apparently did everything she could for her family, giving the food to her children first and sacrificing on their behalf, however with the death of Mattie, no money or food for her children, and without her husband, Oddia herself fell ill. One day, Cecil (the eldest and my Grandfather who had previously left the family and joined the Tree Conservation Core returned to find his mother and siblings living in great dispair). He arranged for his mother to be taken to the hospital. Unable to support his siblings on his own, the children were placed in orphanages (Faith Home and Bellaire) until they reached majority. (Per Aunt Odessa..."I was 10 when I went into Faith Home, Shirley was 7----Clifton was about 15---when he went to Boys Bayland in Webster, Texas.----Wilma & Dorothy was at Bellaire home for teen agers. Mary Burnett School. I went out there in Sept. of 1941 when I was almost 13 years old. Shirley was left at Faith Home by herself & was sent to a Foster home--where Foster parents was mean to her--they lived on a farm, & made Shirley do so much work out there. house work, & farm work too.--She got to leave Foster home when she was 17---so she spent about 9 years with them. She was 9 when she went there." Oddie was taken to the State Mental hospital in Little Rock Arkansas where she remained until she died in 1967. Cornelius died in a Catholic home for the poor of cancer in 1958. He converted to Catholicism before his death. 1880 United States Federal Census about Cornelius Griffin Name: Cornelius Griffin Home in 1880: Bosque, Texas Age: 2M Estimated Birth Year: abt 1880 Birthplace: Pennsylvania Relation to Head of Household: Something other than a direct relationship (Other) Neighbors: View others on page Marital Status: Single Race: White Gender: Male Cannot read/write: Household Members: Name Age J. W. W. Griffin 25 Mary M. Griffin 18 Lou E. Griffin 3 Cornelius Griffin 2M 1920 United States Federal Census about Owen Griffin Name: Owen Griffin Home in 1920: Justice Precinct 2, Wichita, Texas Age: 39 years Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881 Birthplace: Texas Relation to Head of House: Head Spouse's Name: Oddie Father's Birth Place: United States of America Mother's Birth Place: United States of America Marital Status: Married Race: White Sex: Male Home owned: Own Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Image: 63 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Owen Griffin 39 Oddie Griffin 28 Cecil Griffin 5 2/12 World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 about Owen Cornelious Griffin Name: Owen Cornelious Griffin County: Harris State: Texas Birth Date: 14 Apr 1880 Race: White Roll: 1953524 Died of Cancer - Family knowledge from my Grandmother Adina Griffin. She states that Owen "Bill" and all the children except Mattie, David and Odessa have died of Cancer related illnesses. Additional information is available about this family. If you are direct kin, please contact for additional information as some of my relations do not feel this information should be publicly shared.
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