What is your full name? Explain why your parents gave you that name.
My name is Andrew Alan Griffin. I had a great grandpa Andrew and a great grandpa Alan. And Alan is kind of a Bahr family name. That's what they named me. The funny thing is I was supposed to be a girl but if I had been a girl they probably wouldn't have had a 5th kid. So I was going to be Wendy. And I ended up being Andy. And of course they had a Wendy later.
When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew up in.
Las Vegas, Nevada. March 1, 1966. My dad describes me as being a a barrel chested little baby. I guess I got into the ink when they were trying to foot print me and stuff. Made a mess of everything. And I had a really husky cry and I was covered in hair. Quite frankly I don't remember.
I was born in Las Vegas but we were only there 5-6 years. During that time we moved to Nebraska for a few months while my dad worked on his master's degree. So we were really only in Nevada a little over 5 years. Then we moved to Missouri and then to Texas. Then to another town in Texas. And then we moved to Utah. Then we moved to another town in Utah.
I kind of considered myself a Texan growing up. I remember when I first moved to Utah I had a southern drawl. I said Fiiiivve and niiine and stuff like that. And the kids were merciless. I was 14 and middle school aged. Kids are merciless. I managed to drop my southern drawl really fast because I didn't like being teased about it. My little sister Wendy actually had it much longer than me. Although she doesn't have it anymore either.
In Texas we were in two towns. San Marcos and Victoria. San Marcos was a smaller town. I don't remember a ton. They had some cool stuff there like aqua springs with the underwater diving pig and the chili cook off. Victoria is really where most of my memories originate from. We were only there three and a half years but we had a house built. We had a big back yard. I had really good friends. We had a sandlot where we used to play baseball. There were stickers in the outfield. My friend and his sister used to play barefoot. They wouldn't go chase a ball into the outfield because of the stickers. There was a convenience store like three blocks away. We loved to blow all our money on 25 cent candy bars and penny gum and stuff like that. I remember going to football games there. And it was crazy because there would be like 10, 12, maybe 14,000 people there at high school football games. One of my earliest memories of really becoming hooked on sports was the rivalry game between Stroman, which was the other school in Victoria and Victoria High. Victoria was the stingrays. Crazy night name. Stroman was ahead by like 17 or something at halftime and Victoria came back and won the game. With a couple of hail-mary's. Not really hail -mary's, just long passes in the second half and won the game. That left a big impression on me. One other thing at that game I remember is I went with my friend. His dad was a pastor. He brought binoculars and I remember me and my friend scoping out the cheerleaders. And his dad yelling at us for looking at the cheerleaders. Calling us evil and apostate and stuff. That was a long answer to a short question.
I was born in Las Vegas but we were only there 5-6 years. During that time we moved to Nebraska for a few months while my dad worked on his master's degree. So we were really only in Nevada a little over 5 years. Then we moved to Missouri and then to Texas. Then to another town in Texas. And then we moved to Utah. Then we moved to another town in Utah.
I kind of considered myself a Texan growing up. I remember when I first moved to Utah I had a southern drawl. I said Fiiiivve and niiine and stuff like that. And the kids were merciless. I was 14 and middle school aged. Kids are merciless. I managed to drop my southern drawl really fast because I didn't like being teased about it. My little sister Wendy actually had it much longer than me. Although she doesn't have it anymore either.
In Texas we were in two towns. San Marcos and Victoria. San Marcos was a smaller town. I don't remember a ton. They had some cool stuff there like aqua springs with the underwater diving pig and the chili cook off. Victoria is really where most of my memories originate from. We were only there three and a half years but we had a house built. We had a big back yard. I had really good friends. We had a sandlot where we used to play baseball. There were stickers in the outfield. My friend and his sister used to play barefoot. They wouldn't go chase a ball into the outfield because of the stickers. There was a convenience store like three blocks away. We loved to blow all our money on 25 cent candy bars and penny gum and stuff like that. I remember going to football games there. And it was crazy because there would be like 10, 12, maybe 14,000 people there at high school football games. One of my earliest memories of really becoming hooked on sports was the rivalry game between Stroman, which was the other school in Victoria and Victoria High. Victoria was the stingrays. Crazy night name. Stroman was ahead by like 17 or something at halftime and Victoria came back and won the game. With a couple of hail-mary's. Not really hail -mary's, just long passes in the second half and won the game. That left a big impression on me. One other thing at that game I remember is I went with my friend. His dad was a pastor. He brought binoculars and I remember me and my friend scoping out the cheerleaders. And his dad yelling at us for looking at the cheerleaders. Calling us evil and apostate and stuff. That was a long answer to a short question.
What memories do you have of your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents, etc.)?
My father is still alive. Don't know for how much longer. His name is Rodney Dale Griffin, born in Salt Lake City. He was born in 1935, May 29. They had some money. His dad did all kinds of things. He owned bakeries and stuff. My dad grew up working in the bakery. He didn't have the best relationship with his dad or mom. They loved each other. I remember I gave the eulogy at my grandfather's funeral. One of the things I learned was that when they were newlyweds they went on a trip. They happened to be driving through American Fork. And my Grandpa was like, (they had been living in Salt Lake), they hadn't really decided what they were going to do with their lives. There was a bakery for sale. And grandpa was like, hey, should we run a bakery? And grandma was like, sure, why not? So they bought a bakery. From there on, through the years, they ended up having 3 or 4 bakeries in Utah County and South Salt Lake County. They did really well with their bakeries.
My dad though, he did that for awhile, but he was an academic. He went to college and ended up becoming a meteorologist. Smart man.
My dad though, he did that for awhile, but he was an academic. He went to college and ended up becoming a meteorologist. Smart man.
What memories do you have of your mother (her name, birth date, birthplace, parents, etc.)
Marva Jean Bahr Griffin November 2, 1938, Neola, Utah
As far as my mother, well she is still alive too, thank goodness. She has been having some breathing issues and things like that. She has a pace maker. So hopefully she'll be able to hang around for awhile. My mom is that one person that worries about everyone and everything. And it's kind of sweet. Sometimes you just want to tell her, mom, just relax. It's ok. But that's her thing, she worries about people. And I wouldn't change her. That's what she likes to do. I remember this. I was a really good kid up until I was about 16 or 17 and I discovered girls and sleeping in were more fun. My mom basically saved my bacon toward the end of high school. Because I was pretty irresponsible for a couple of years. She's kind of a rock. You can count on her to get things done and take care of business. She always will.
As far as my mother, well she is still alive too, thank goodness. She has been having some breathing issues and things like that. She has a pace maker. So hopefully she'll be able to hang around for awhile. My mom is that one person that worries about everyone and everything. And it's kind of sweet. Sometimes you just want to tell her, mom, just relax. It's ok. But that's her thing, she worries about people. And I wouldn't change her. That's what she likes to do. I remember this. I was a really good kid up until I was about 16 or 17 and I discovered girls and sleeping in were more fun. My mom basically saved my bacon toward the end of high school. Because I was pretty irresponsible for a couple of years. She's kind of a rock. You can count on her to get things done and take care of business. She always will.
What kind of work did your parents do (farmer, salesman, manager, seamstress, nurse, stay-at-home mom, professional, laborer, and so on)?Have any of your family members died? If so, explain what they died from and what you remember of their death; the circumstances of their death.
Well I already talked about that a little. My dad was a TV weatherman and a teacher for a long time.
My mom started off mostly secretarial. She stuck with that through the years. She moved into the academic area as a school secretary probably her last 15 years or so. She briefly was the athletic secretary at Dixie College. That was kind of cool because all the people that I worked with while I was doing radio knew my mom. And of course she is a sweetheart so they were like, O, I love your mom!
My dad did work a lot. Especially when we moved to Utah. I didn't see him much because he was a bishop as well. So that was a challenge to have my dad gone all the time.
Have any of your family members died? If so, what do you remember of their death?
Well, this isn't a fun one to answer at all. My brother committed suicide. It is pretty seared into my brain. I'm not sure why we are writing it down except I guess to have a record of it. Basically, his wife had developed an online relationship with a guy in Alaska. My brother thought they were all just friends and they went up to visit him. Basically she said, actually, you know I'm here to hookup with this guy. And the impression I got, and we don't know all the details, was that there were other people there and they wanted Gordon to play too. Gordon wouldn't have anything to do with it. And he certainly didn't want his wife fooling around with another guy. And so he said, we're leaving. And she was like, no you're leaving, I'm staying.
So he came back home. Tried calling her. Sending her letters, emails. She wouldn't answer. When he finally got hold of her like on Monday, like three days later, she said basically, he thought it was just a fling and she was going to come back and everything would be ok. But she was like, no, it's over. So with his business not doing well, and his health not being the greatest, and his marriage now shot. I think he just decided he couldn't see any other way to get out of the situation. So he killed himself in front of my mother which I'm still mad at him about that part.
My brother's daughter passed away in a bike crash. I'm not sure that is necessarily something that should be in my history. It's sad and we miss Rebecca, she would be 30 years old now.
My mom started off mostly secretarial. She stuck with that through the years. She moved into the academic area as a school secretary probably her last 15 years or so. She briefly was the athletic secretary at Dixie College. That was kind of cool because all the people that I worked with while I was doing radio knew my mom. And of course she is a sweetheart so they were like, O, I love your mom!
My dad did work a lot. Especially when we moved to Utah. I didn't see him much because he was a bishop as well. So that was a challenge to have my dad gone all the time.
Have any of your family members died? If so, what do you remember of their death?
Well, this isn't a fun one to answer at all. My brother committed suicide. It is pretty seared into my brain. I'm not sure why we are writing it down except I guess to have a record of it. Basically, his wife had developed an online relationship with a guy in Alaska. My brother thought they were all just friends and they went up to visit him. Basically she said, actually, you know I'm here to hookup with this guy. And the impression I got, and we don't know all the details, was that there were other people there and they wanted Gordon to play too. Gordon wouldn't have anything to do with it. And he certainly didn't want his wife fooling around with another guy. And so he said, we're leaving. And she was like, no you're leaving, I'm staying.
So he came back home. Tried calling her. Sending her letters, emails. She wouldn't answer. When he finally got hold of her like on Monday, like three days later, she said basically, he thought it was just a fling and she was going to come back and everything would be ok. But she was like, no, it's over. So with his business not doing well, and his health not being the greatest, and his marriage now shot. I think he just decided he couldn't see any other way to get out of the situation. So he killed himself in front of my mother which I'm still mad at him about that part.
My brother's daughter passed away in a bike crash. I'm not sure that is necessarily something that should be in my history. It's sad and we miss Rebecca, she would be 30 years old now.
What kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were growing up?
I would say that we were pretty lucky. We didn't have any tragedies really. We did struggle for money but you know, with 5 kids, that's understandable.
I would say that we were pretty lucky. We didn't have any tragedies really. We did struggle for money but you know, with 5 kids, that's understandable.
I think it was hard having my dad work so much and then when I was about 10 my mom started working all the time. My brothers were pretty much grown up but my sisters and I would
come home to an empty house. We were latch key kids. That was a little frustrating not having mom around. My dad most of the time worked his full time job and then in the evening worked doing
weather forecasting in the evening. I don't remember having money at all while I was a teen. If I needed clothes or stuff I had to go get it myself. It was good. It taught me to work hard. I had to have jobs to earn money to buy clothes so I guess it taught me to work hard. I always had plenty of money because I always worked. The canundrum for me was I had money but didn't have time to spend it. I ended up saving about $1500 for my mission. It wasn't so much that I was trying to save for a mission, I just didn't have time to spend it. We didn't have any real tragedies except my
adult brother killing himself.
Are there any obvious or unusual genetic traits that run in your family line?
I don't know. On the Griffin side I think they all have sizable noses. And I think I got some of that. I guess you could say it is unusual to be as large as I am. And that's from the Bahr family mostly. My Uncles were all very large. But the funny thing is I think I might be the largest man in the whole family as far as height. They were all real big guys. So I guess that's an unusual trait. They were all real big and I'm the biggest maybe of them all.
What are the names of your brothers and sisters? Describe traits and memories that stand out in your mind about each of your siblings.
I don't know. On the Griffin side I think they all have sizable noses. And I think I got some of that. I guess you could say it is unusual to be as large as I am. And that's from the Bahr family mostly. My Uncles were all very large. But the funny thing is I think I might be the largest man in the whole family as far as height. They were all real big guys. So I guess that's an unusual trait. They were all real big and I'm the biggest maybe of them all.
What are the names of your brothers and sisters? Describe traits and memories that stand out in your mind about each of your siblings.
1958 Gordon Dale Griffin, married Debbie, oldest brother, committed suicide. He was eight years older than me.
1960 Eldon Griffin married Diane, 2nd oldest in the family. He still works with media and stuff up in Salt Lake with the tabernacle choir, general conference. He works for the church basically.
1962 Laura Ruth Squires is next. She is married to Ben Squires.
1966 me
1971 Wendy, 5 years younger than me, full 13 younger than Gordon.
Gordon had some chemical imbalances when growing up. To put it frankly, he had to have one of his testicles removed at a young age and was very moody. In fact it may have ultimately contributed to his demise. He used to pick on us a lot. When he got older and got some treatment for that he became really a sweetheart of a guy. I felt from him a lot of remorse and guilt and sorrow that he had treated us as badly as he had. He really like me and my wife and our little baby at the time AJ, he used to call him scooter.
It's funny how things happen. When Gordon got home from his mission, he had been home about a year, so I was about 15 I think. He got into one of his rages and he came at me and I'm sad to say now but one of my crowning glories of my youth was being able to finally get even with him. I just decked him. I just reared back and popped him right in the face and knocked him down. He had a girl friend at the time named Toni. She was yelling at me. Why would you do that? And all this stuff. But she didn't understand the history there. The funny thing is eventhough I probably should not have done that and revenge is not something I cultivate, I really felt like I exercized a lot of the demons of my youth with him beating the scrud out of us and everything and picking on us, with that one punch. I guess I should feel guilty about that one punch but I don't. I feel like it was a real part of me maturing, growing up and becoming a man.
It's funny how things happen. When Gordon got home from his mission, he had been home about a year, so I was about 15 I think. He got into one of his rages and he came at me and I'm sad to say now but one of my crowning glories of my youth was being able to finally get even with him. I just decked him. I just reared back and popped him right in the face and knocked him down. He had a girl friend at the time named Toni. She was yelling at me. Why would you do that? And all this stuff. But she didn't understand the history there. The funny thing is eventhough I probably should not have done that and revenge is not something I cultivate, I really felt like I exercized a lot of the demons of my youth with him beating the scrud out of us and everything and picking on us, with that one punch. I guess I should feel guilty about that one punch but I don't. I feel like it was a real part of me maturing, growing up and becoming a man.
Eldon was really quiet and self absorbed a little bit, but really introverted. He was a hard worker. A little moody but not like Gordon. He just got quiet and would not talk to anybody. And you know like brothers, we had good times and bad times. Eldon was really to himself his whole life. And we actually became much better friends as adults then we ever were as kids. As much as we can our six years apart.
Laura became a second mom to me. Because, like I said, when I was maybe 10 and Laura was about 15, my mom started working all the time. And Laura became kind of the cook in the family, and the pastry chef, a little bit the disciplinarian. Telling us what we should and should not be doing. So even though Laura and I are obviously equals now, we respect each other and love each other. I think for a long time she was kind of an authority figure to me. She needed to be. And it was good. But some of my great memories of her are us making cookies together in the kitchen or making dinner together or whatever. She's a pretty special lady.
time she was an authority figure. Some of my great memories of her are making cookies in the kitchen.
Wendy and I were never really that close, even though we were the two youngest. I was 5 years older then her and I really wanted to be like my dad. I had conservative views about life and everything and Wendy was not like that. She didn't want to be like her old fashion parents. She wanted to be modern and hip. So we clashed a lot as young people. Especially when I was 15, 16 & 17. She would have been 12 or 13 right in there. We never really saw eye -to- eye on issues.
But we did have a few things that we agreed on. Back in those days, Saturday Night Live was big. It had all the big stars, you know, Eddy Murphy, Jean Curtain, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray. All the big stars. That was one of the few things that we really agreed on. We used to sit and watch Saturday Night Live together. And it's funny, she's mentioned it too. It's like one of those weird little bonds that we have. It isn't necessarily explainable but it was something we had just the two of us. Wendy married Eddie Dickie. Love Eddie. He is a funny, crazy off-beat guy.
But we did have a few things that we agreed on. Back in those days, Saturday Night Live was big. It had all the big stars, you know, Eddy Murphy, Jean Curtain, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray. All the big stars. That was one of the few things that we really agreed on. We used to sit and watch Saturday Night Live together. And it's funny, she's mentioned it too. It's like one of those weird little bonds that we have. It isn't necessarily explainable but it was something we had just the two of us. Wendy married Eddie Dickie. Love Eddie. He is a funny, crazy off-beat guy.
What are some of your family traditions that you remember?
We have the usual ones like Thanksgiving dinner, decorating the tree together, opening pajamas on Christmas Eve and stuff like that. I don't really remember a ton of other stuff. One of the big things in my family, because my dad was a geologist. It's funny, we would go on vacations and us kids would be thinking, hey we are going somewhere cool, like a national park or something. But really it was all just kind of an excuse for my dad to go to some rock hound place. It was just kind of weird. We didn't really know any better. I know there were a lot of times where we were in the car and we were like, o no, we're not stopping again?! And there would be some cut in the limestone in the geography there and dad would want to stop and collect some samples. I loved it and it was fun. My dad bought a saw. We used to collect rocks and we had a rock polisher and stuff. But it would have been kind of fun to go to Disney or somewhere normal families went.
We have the usual ones like Thanksgiving dinner, decorating the tree together, opening pajamas on Christmas Eve and stuff like that. I don't really remember a ton of other stuff. One of the big things in my family, because my dad was a geologist. It's funny, we would go on vacations and us kids would be thinking, hey we are going somewhere cool, like a national park or something. But really it was all just kind of an excuse for my dad to go to some rock hound place. It was just kind of weird. We didn't really know any better. I know there were a lot of times where we were in the car and we were like, o no, we're not stopping again?! And there would be some cut in the limestone in the geography there and dad would want to stop and collect some samples. I loved it and it was fun. My dad bought a saw. We used to collect rocks and we had a rock polisher and stuff. But it would have been kind of fun to go to Disney or somewhere normal families went.
Did your family have special ways of celebrating specific holidays?
Share some memories of your grandparents.
Did your grandparents live close by? If so, describe how they were involved in your life. If they lived far away share some memories of visiting them or of them traveling to visit you.
Who were your aunts and uncles? Write about any of your aunts or uncles who really stand out in your mind. Give some details about them (names, personalities, events that you remember doing with them, and so on).
Where did you go to school? Give some details about what was school like for you and some of your memorable experiences.
What were your favorite subjects in school? Explain why.
What subjects did you like the least? Explain why.
Who were some of your friends in school? Explain what your friends were like and what they are doing today if you know that.
If you went to college or a vocational school, what school did you attend? Describe what memories you have of those years and what subjects you studied.
What do you see as your greatest strengths?
What were some of the challenges you have had to deal with in your life?
What medical issues have you had to deal with throughout your life?
Was religion an important for you and your family? If so, explain what religion your family practiced and what it meant to you. Explain if it is or is not an important part of your life today.
What foods do you like and dislike? Describe any food allergies you or other family members had.
Were there two or three food dishes your mother or father made that were especially memorable?
How did you meet your spouse?
What was your courtship like? Describe your marriage day.
Share some stories about your spouse.
How many children do you have? List their names and share a few memories about each one.
Describe some of the major community, national, and world events you lived through. How did these events change your life?
What are some of your life philosophies or life views that you would share with others?
What are some of the personal values that are very important to you? Share some examples of what have you done and what are you doing now to teach these values to your children, grandchildren and others.
List at least five people who have had a memorable influence on your life. What did they do that had such an influence on you?
What are 20 things about yourself that make you uniquely you.
What are 50 things that you are grateful for.
What is your philosophy on money.
If you could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and what would you do during your day with him or her?
What scares you?
What makes you stop and go “Wow!”?
What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
If you could go back in time and spend an hour visiting with yourself at age 15, what would you tell your younger self?
What are some of your talents? Explain how you discovered them and what you have done to cultivate and improve them. Describe how your talents have they affected your life.
What did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career.
What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life and what were some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs?
What are 5 significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects they have had on you.
What are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to your descendants?
In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of each place you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved.
If someone gave you $10,000 and told you that you could NOT give it to any of your friends, family members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it?
If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change?
When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Write about what you are doing now to create a legacy worthy of remembering.
If you were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your future posterity, what would they be?
Have you traveled to any place outside of your home country? If so, explain the reasons for your trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those trips.
What were some of the popular fads you experienced during your life?
How did you spend your summers?
What were some of your more memorable vacations?
Did you ever have pets? If so, tell us about them.
List 20 things you think the world would be better off without
What were your favorite subjects in school? Explain why.
What subjects did you like the least? Explain why.
Who were some of your friends in school? Explain what your friends were like and what they are doing today if you know that.
If you went to college or a vocational school, what school did you attend? Describe what memories you have of those years and what subjects you studied.
What do you see as your greatest strengths?
What were some of the challenges you have had to deal with in your life?
What medical issues have you had to deal with throughout your life?
Was religion an important for you and your family? If so, explain what religion your family practiced and what it meant to you. Explain if it is or is not an important part of your life today.
What foods do you like and dislike? Describe any food allergies you or other family members had.
Were there two or three food dishes your mother or father made that were especially memorable?
How did you meet your spouse?
What was your courtship like? Describe your marriage day.
Share some stories about your spouse.
How many children do you have? List their names and share a few memories about each one.
Describe some of the major community, national, and world events you lived through. How did these events change your life?
What are some of your life philosophies or life views that you would share with others?
What are some of the personal values that are very important to you? Share some examples of what have you done and what are you doing now to teach these values to your children, grandchildren and others.
List at least five people who have had a memorable influence on your life. What did they do that had such an influence on you?
What are 20 things about yourself that make you uniquely you.
What are 50 things that you are grateful for.
What is your philosophy on money.
If you could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and what would you do during your day with him or her?
What scares you?
What makes you stop and go “Wow!”?
What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
If you could go back in time and spend an hour visiting with yourself at age 15, what would you tell your younger self?
What are some of your talents? Explain how you discovered them and what you have done to cultivate and improve them. Describe how your talents have they affected your life.
What did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career.
What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life and what were some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs?
What are 5 significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects they have had on you.
What are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to your descendants?
In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of each place you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved.
If someone gave you $10,000 and told you that you could NOT give it to any of your friends, family members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it?
If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change?
When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Write about what you are doing now to create a legacy worthy of remembering.
If you were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your future posterity, what would they be?
Have you traveled to any place outside of your home country? If so, explain the reasons for your trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those trips.
Extra Questions
If a newspaper wanted to do a story about you, what would the story be about?What were some of the popular fads you experienced during your life?
How did you spend your summers?
What were some of your more memorable vacations?
Did you ever have pets? If so, tell us about them.
List 20 things you think the world would be better off without
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