Joseph remarried in Oct 1932...
From The Waterloo Courier - Oct 7, 1932
Independence. Ia.—Joseph W. Griffith, local mail carrier, and Miss Minnie B. Boyer, Marion, were united in marriage Oct. 4, at Preston, Minn. Attending the bride and bridegroom were Laverne Griffith, son of the bridegroom, and his wife, youngest sister of the bride. After a short wedding trip the bridal pair will be at home at Mr. Griffith's residence here, after Oct. 10.
Now, on the surface, this may look like an error. Did Joseph really marry his daughter-in-law's older sister? Let's take a look...
Let's start with the daughter-in-law, Clarissa Massingale. Her parents are Ella Rebecca Spicer and Hiram S. Massingale. Clarissa is their oldest child. So, no...wait. Hiram is not Ella's 1st husband. She was married to James L. Forney. They had (at least) 1 daughter, Minnie Fornay. So, yes, Minnie is Clarissa's older half-sister.
That brings us to Minnie...Minnie had MANY husbands.
Marriage 1 - 18 Nov 1907 Minnie Fornay married Chester Milton Denny. Chester remarried 24 Nov 1909.
Marriage 2 - 11 Dec 1914 Minnie (Jennie) Denny married Clifford Murphy.
Marriage 3 - 01 Apr 1920 Minnie Murphy married George Alfred Boyer. George remarried 09 Sep 1929.
Marriage 4 - 04 Oct 1932 Minnie Boyer married Joseph Griffith.
With the exception of Marriage 4, all clearly show Minnie as the daughter of James Fornay and Ella Spicer.
Minnie died in Florida (still married to Joseph) in 1946. Her obit...
Marion Sentinel - Apr 4, 1946
Mrs. Minnie Griffith Died March 29 at Home in Florida
Mrs. Minnie Griffith, who moved to Florida two years ago, died at her home at St. Cloud, Fla., Friday evening, March 29, following a brief illness.
She was born in Cedar Rapids, August 8, 1889, the daughter of Hiram and Ella Spicer Massingale and was married to Joseph W. Griffith, who survives. Also living are her parents, and two sisters, Mrs. Iva Barkwill of Marlon, and Mrs. Clarence Griffith, Ft. Wayne, Ind., two half brothers, Roy Forney of Cedar Rapids and Everett Forney of Minnesota. A brother, Herman Massingale, died in 1926.
Mrs. Griffith was a member of Marion Christian church.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, April 4 at the Yocom in Marion in charge of Rev.
C. M. Cunningham, pastor of the Marion Free Methodist church.
Burial made in Oak Shade cemetery.
[Corrections…Minnie was the daughter of James Fornay and Ella Spicer. That makes Iva and Clarissa and Herman HALF-siblings and Roy and Everett FULL-siblings.]
