Remembering Our Past: Rev. Charles and Helen Griffin
Born in Holyoke, MA, in 1917, Charley Griffin spent his early years enjoying the banjo, playing football on the lawn of the First Baptist Church and spending time at the YMCA.
While at UMASS Amherst (Mass State College) studying English, he was a member of the Roister Doisters, the Men’s Glee Club, Lambda Chi Alpha, the track team and ROTC.
Upon graduation from UMASS in 1939, he received the call to the ministry and entered Andover Newton Theological School, where he received the training that led him to a lifelong career of service to God and spiritual mentoring to countless individuals.
In 1942, Charley served his first congregation here at Brewster Baptist Church.
From Brewster, he was deployed in the U.S. Army in 1944 as a chaplain in General Patton’s 3rd Army, 10th Armored Division, and arrived at Normandy, France, two weeks after D-Day.
He served in the European Theater, including the Battle of the Bulge, and as chaplain, he provided spiritual support and served communion to American soldiers until he returned home safely in May of 1946.
Helen Dalton was born in New Bedford, MA, in 1923, and grew up in Malden, where she made lifelong friendships. After graduating from Malden High School in 1939, she entered secretarial school at Katherine Gibbs in Boston.
In 1943, at the age of 22, Helen joined the Marines as the first contingent of “Lady Marines” and, immediately after basic training was sent to Officer Candidates School.
She was stationed in Washington, D.C. for two years and was secretary to General Omar Pfeiffer.
Her proudest moment was personally carrying top secret war plans to San Francisco via cargo plane.
She served in the Marines until the end of World War II in 1945.
After the war, Helen worked at the TWA ticket office at the Parker House in Boston. It was then that she flew from Boston to Hyannis in July of 1946 to meet friends and to be introduced to a young minister from the Brewster Baptist Church.
Not wanting the beautiful redhead to return to Boston unattached, at the end of the weekend, Charley proposed to her. Helen made him wait a week for her response, which was “yes,” and they were married two months later.
In the year and a half of his service here at Brewster Baptist Church after his return from deployment, Charley showed particular interest in work with young people, and eight persons under 20 were added to the church fellowship during his ministry. During this time, he also baptized Bob Linnell’s mother Betty, and Roy Freeman’s mother Joan.
They had three children, Chuck, Laurie and Janet, and served churches together as a husband and wife team in Brewster, Glenside, PA, Boston, Springfield and Northampton, MA, prior to returning to Brewster for retirement where they had kept a summer cottage throughout their life together.
In retirement, Charley and Helen were active members of our church choir and the Mid-Cape Chorus, and season ticket holders of the Monomoy Theatre. While performing with the Mid-Cape Chorus, Charley, the emcee, and Helen would perform a duet to Cole Porter’s “True Love.” This became their signature song and they would dance and sing to each other while holding hands. Audiences witnessing this expression of love rarely escaped with a dry eye.
Helen passed away in November of 2012 and for the eight months following her death, Charley would “write a letter” to her each night, staying connected to her and thinking of her constantly. Charley and Helen led a life of devotion to their faith in God and to each other.
Being a patriotic American, it seemed only fitting that like Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe, Charley died on Independence Day in 2013.
Ellen Wilcock shared that Charley and her dad knew each other from when Charley first came to the Cape. Charley had lived with her Grammy for a period of time. Her dad and Charley used to get together and play the guitar and, sing and years later, Charley would always say how he loved being with her dad and how he missed him.
Jill Scalise shared
“Helen and Charley were mentors for Douglas and me. We learned so much from them and appreciated how they served God and loved one another throughout their lives. As fellow American Baptist ministry couples, Helen and Charley, along with Elizabeth and Bishop Covell, were the first folks we hosted at the parsonage. The Griffins were so friendly and supportive of us.
I fondly remember Helen’s warm smile, encouraging words, joyful spirit, and beautiful voice. In our early months at Brewster Baptist, Helen and Charley welcomed us into their home. We had dinner, sat around a fire, and listened to stories about their life and ministry.”
A memory of Helen was from a Women’s Christmas Communion Service. Three women shared memories of Christmas past. Helen shared about her experience serving during World War II. She wasn’t feeling well, and, after the service, ended up going to the hospital. That was Helen, she was determined to share and she did.
Toward the end of Helen’s life, she ended up at the hospital. I was working in Hyannis and headed right over to the emergency room. Helen immediately labeled me her guardian angel. There I was to see her, and she was lifting up and encouraging me. That was Helen, an embodiment of Christ’s Love and Light.”
Jill Scalise
For many of us, we’ll always remember Charley singing “Were You There?” a cappella at our Maundy Thursday night communion service during Holy Week with all the lights out in the Sanctuary. He sang that song at that service for many, many years throughout his ministry. You couldn’t hear him sing that and not be moved – his voice was so resonant and conveyed so much emotion even when he was in his 90s.
