Bertha Griffin

Ellen (Gaff) Knafel Griffin, 95, formerly of Churubusco, passed away at 5:40 p.m. on Monday, February 15, 2016 at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System in Fort Wayne. Although she had been in declining health, she had been more seriously ill since January. Mrs. Griffin was born in Larwill on March 4, 1920, a daughter of Roy and Alice (Hull) Gaff. She moved with her parents to Churubusco as a child and graduated from Churubusco High School in 1938. As a young woman she had worked at both General Electric and Wolf & Dessaur in Fort Wayne, and later served with the U. S. Navy during World War II. During her adult life she lived on a farm near Albion, and resided near Kalkaska, Michigan for many years. Later in life she returned to Churubusco where she lived with her sister until moving to Fort Wayne six years ago. A member of the Gilbert Davis American Legion Post 157, she enjoyed flower gardening, puzzles, and playing euchre and rummy. On August 1, 1970 she was married to Russell Griffin. He preceded her in death. The surviving relatives include her daughter Jenice (Kenneth) Klausing of Fort Wayne; two sons James E. (Linda) Knafel of Albion and Max (Ann) Knafel of Portage, Mich; a step-daughter Betty Gustin of Hudson; and a step-son Ronald Griffin of Stroh. There are six grandchildren, 17 step-grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, 33 step-great-grandchildren, and 29 step-great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son Rex Knafel; her sister Betty I. Gaff; two brothers Robert E. Gaff and Ralph Gaff; and three step-sons Hugh Griffin, Robert Griffin, and Bob Robinson. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. Brett Frymier, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Albion, officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday after 11 a.m. until the time of the service. Private family burial with military graveside rites will be in Christian Chapel Cemetery, Merriam, at a later date. The family requests memorials be directed to Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana or Breast Cancer Research. To leave an online condolence for the family in Ellen's memory, log on to www.sheetsandchilds.net or Facebook.