Richard "Ike" Griffiths

April 13, 1933 - August 24, 2018

Ike Griffiths, 85, of Oskaloosa passed away Friday, August 24, 2018, at the Oskaloosa Care Center. Richard Lee Griffith, son of Isaac and Eva M. (Hite) Griffiths, was born April 13, 1933, in Red Oak, Iowa. The family soon moved to Glenwood, Iowa where Richard received his education. Ike served six years in the Army, from 1951 to 1957, before he began his career in the construction trades. He was a member of the Laborers’ Local #1140 out of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1969, he was hired as a construction inspector for the Safety and Health component of the Iowa Division of Labor. He was first stationed in Vinton, Iowa where he serviced a territory of 24 counties. He was then transferred to the region near Iowa Falls, and in 1976, he moved to Oskaloosa to work its area. Ike enjoyed his job as an inspector and mentored several new inspectors through the years. He retired March 31, 1998. June 25, 1960, Ike was united in marriage to Elinore Jean Allen in Shenandoah, Iowa. They raised two children and were blessed with three grandchildren. Ike was a member of the American Legion and the V.F.W. and a former Elks Lodge member. His family includes his wife, Elinore Jean of Oskaloosa; his children: Kelly L. (John) Hoekstra of Oskaloosa and Ronald A. (Brenda) Howard of Visalia, California; grandchildren: Ashley, Wesley and Matthew; great-grandchildren: Michael and Harleen; siblings: Loretta Fisher of Glenwood, Rev. James Griffiths of Lincoln, NE, and Janice Timmerman of Spring Hill, Kansas; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Ike was preceded in death by his sisters: Caroline, Marilyn and Phyllis, and a brother, Ted. Memorial services for Ike will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at Langkamp Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Pastor Alvern Boetsma of the Good News Chapel officiating. Military honors will be presented by the Oskaloosa Honor Guard. Memorials can be made to the Oskaloosa Fire Department, American Legion, V.F.W., the Knoxville Hospice, the Glenwood Iowa Fire Department or Glenwood Public Library.