Donald Griswold

Donald W. Griswold, 90, of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, formerly of West Salem, passed away July 21, 2005 at St. Michael's Hospital in Sauk Centre, Minnesota after a very brief illness.

He was born August 6th, 1914 at home on the family farm on the west edge of West Salem, Wisconsin. His parents were Harry W. Griswold and Mary Sybil (Bailey) Griswold. He attended public school in West Salem and graduated from West Salem High School in 1932. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism in Madison in 1937. Griswold had an interest in the newspaper business early on. At age 16 he was an unpaid cub reporter for the Nonpareil Journal then owned by Glen Garlock. After college he worked as a reporter for the Nonpareil Journal prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corp in the spring of 1941. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and served in the Aluetian Islands during World War II as a captain. He purchased the Nonpareil Journal from Col. Garlock's family in 1945 renaming the weekly paper the West Salem Journal. He later acquired the Bangor Independent and published both papers each week for many years. In the late 1960s he combined the papers into the LaCrosse County Countryman. In 1971 the Countryman was sold to Robert and Helen Humbel. His paper is still being published as the Coulee News. In 1971 Griswold purchased the Sauk Centre Herald in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. He published that weekly paper until 1988 when he retired at the age of 74 after a 58-year career in the newspaper business. He received several awards for editorial excellence from the Wisconsin Press Association. He was a member of the United Church of Christ in Sauk Centre. He was a charter member of the West Salem Rotary Club and continued his rotary involvement in Sauk Centre. He was a Paul Harris Rotary Fellow. He was a past Commander of American Legion Post 51 in West Salem and a member of American Legion Post 67 in Sauk Centre. He was also a member of VFW Post 2853 of Sauk Centre.

Griswold is survived by his wife of over 58 years, Gail Twining Griswold. He is also survived by his son Harry (Carol) of West Salem, Dr. John (Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick) of Timonium, Maryland and Dan (Elizabeth) of Vienna, Virginia. He is also survived by two granddaughters and eight grandsons.

He was preceded in death by his son Paul, by his parents and by his sisters, Mary Ginskey, Margery Griswold, Jennie Norman, Alice Johnson and Beulah Musselwhite. He is also survived by a brother-in-law, Roy Musselwhite of Lookout Mountain, Georgia and sisters-in-law, Jean Johnson of West Salem and Nancy Wiemer of Towson, Maryland.

His greatest joys in life were derived from his wife and their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. He was proud of his long journalism career. He loved discussing current events and history with his friends and family. He was an avid reader. His intellect was intact to the end of his life. His family is thankful that up until less than 48 hours before his death, he was living comfortably at home in relative good health. He was fortunate that his youngest son, Dan just happened to visit from Virginia five days before his death. He and Gail had traveled to West Salem on July 10th for a two-day visit with family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at the United Church of Christ in Sauk Centre at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 25th.

Visitation will take place at the church one hour before the start of the funeral service. A grave side burial service with military honors will take place at the Hamilton Cemetery in West Salem that same afternoon at 6:30 p.m.

Memorials are preferred.