Donald Eugene "Donnie" Griffin

Donald Eugene “Donnie” Griffin, died on April 26, 2024, at the age of 92, at the Hadley House, Perham, MN, under the care of Knute Nelson Hospice, surrounded by his loving family.

Donnie was born to Patrick and Viola (Thornton) Griffin of Barnesville, MN, on July 9, 1931. He was the little brother to Dolores. He grew up on the family farm Northwest of Barnesville.

Donnie married Beverly Ferris on October 25, 1952. They had three children: Patrick, Lonnie, and Pamela. There are six grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. On February 10, 1982, he married Jean Carr.

Besides working on the farm, he had a long career at Fairmont Foods Creamery in Moorhead, MN, and Cass Clay Creamery in Fargo, ND. In retirement, he worked at the Rest Stop along I-94 in Moorhead.

Donnie loved spending weekends at Lake Lizzie and later at Prairie Lake. He loved to fish and spent many hours with Pat, Lonnie, and Jean in the boat.

Feeding the birds in his backyard in Fargo was one of his passions. The birds ate well at Donnie’s!

Gardening was another passion. In the summer of 2023, he had over 30 tomato plants along with squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins. Donnie was very generous in sharing his produce with neighbors, friends, and family.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Hadley House in Perham and Knute Nelson Hospice for their wonderful, loving care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Knute Nelson Home Health Care and Hospice, 1304 West Lincoln Avenue Suite B, Fergus Falls, MN, 56537.

Donnie is survived by his children, Pat (Rosemary) Griffin and Pam (Bruce) Hoekstra; Jean's children, Jerry (Rene) Carr, Mavis (Roger) Bader, Kim (Doug) Richards, and their families; daughter-in-law, Sandra (Peter) Waldon; grandchildren, Laura (Chad) Rach, Lucas (Roslyn) Hoekstra, Elliot (Kaitee) Hoekstra, Karlie (Travis) Lehmann, Danny (Melissa) Griffin, and Tamara (Jeff) Courtney; fourteen great-grandchildren; and sister, Dolores Larson. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jean; first wife, Bev; son, Lonnie Griffin; and parents, Patrick and Viola.

Visitation will be from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., followed by the memorial service at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Olivet Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND. A livestream of the service will be available on Donnie’s webpage at www.wrightfuneral.com where a guestbook and video tribute may also be found. Final resting place will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Barnesville, MN, at a later date.