Valeria Marie (Winkler) Griffith (1912 - 1985)

Born 18 May 1912 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Gerald Irving Griffith — married 28 Jan 1940 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Aug 1985 at age 73 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: John Clements [send private message] and XC Clements [send private message]

Biography

Valeria was born 18 May 1912 to Karl Winkler and Nora Bowers Winkler. She was the couple's first child.^[1]

She graduated from Drake University, and at the time of her engagement in 1939, she worked as the assistant state supervisor of recreation for the Works Progress Administration. ^[2]

She taught at Drake University. ^[3]

She was the author of a number of works of fiction, including "Jenny the Fire Maker", "A Ride for Jenny", "Runaway", and "Mystery in Austria".

Research Notes

Nora and her children appear in the 1930 census, living at 1614 Twelfth street, Des Moines.^[4] The record includes

• Nora, head, Female, White, Widowed, age 44, born Kansas, parents born Ohio, Department Manager, Fire Insurance Co.
• Valeria, daughter, Female, White, Single, age 17, in school, born Iowa, parents born Missouri and Kansas
• Karl, son, Male, White, Single, age 15, in school, born Iowa, parents born Missouri and Kansas
• Helen Moore, lodger, Female, White, 29, D (divorced?), office clerk in a doctor's office
• Kathryn Moore, lodger, Female, White, 7, single, in school

Gerry and Valeria and their children appear in the 1950 census, living at 2805 Terrace Drive.^[5]

Bibliography

• Griffith, Valeria Winkler. Jenny, the Fire Maker. United States: Lippincott, 1963.

• Griffith, Valeria Winkler. A Ride For Jenny. United States: Lippincott, 1964.

• Griffith, Valeria Winkler. Mystery in Austria. Abelard-Schuman, 1968

• Griffith, Valeria Winkler. Runaway. HarperCollins, 1971.

Sources

1. ↑ "Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D41Q-12Q?cc=1821206 : 20 May 2016), > image 1 of 1; county district courts, Iowa.
2. ↑ "Valeria Winkler is Engaged", Des Moines Sunday Register (Des Moines, IA). December 17, 1939
3. ↑ Obituary for Valeria Griffith, Des Moines Register (Des Moines, IA), August 28, 1985.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R4T-WZ7?cc=1810731&wc=QZFS-PXR%3A648806501%2C648901901%2C649229401%2C1589282487 : 8 December 2015), Iowa > Polk > Des Moines > ED 34 > image 42 of 46; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
5. ↑ "Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, United States records, Apr 2, 2022," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHJ-5QHW-TKPH?view=explore : Jan 27, 2023), image 4 of 29; National Archives and Records Administration.

• Genealogy constructed by Griffith-10150 and Clements-6242.