Maxine Griffith
Title
Maxine Griffith
Source
Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home
Date
August 1, 2025
Text
She is survived by her daughter Karen Griffith; nieces Connie and John Doss, Sonia Blake, Tina and Richard Wolfe; nephew, David Griffith; great nieces Elizabeth and Nicholas Skinner, Christy and Chris Osborne, and great nephew Jeremy and Jessica Doss, Caleb Blake and Jordan Wolfe and several great-great nieces and nephews and sister-in-law, Juanita Griffith
She is preceded in death by her parents, Kearney Elsworth and Anna Mae (Folden) Ogdin and husband Charles Edward Griffith; sister, Janet Faye Jones and brother-in-law, Herbert Jones.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 4:00pm at the Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home in Pomeroy with Paul Reed officiating. Burial will follow in the Meigs Memory Gardens. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 from 6-8:00pm at the funeral home.
How do you summarize 101 years of a hardworking, extraordinary life. Maxine’s life story could fill a book.
Maxine Ogdin was born on the family farm near Salem Center June 22, 1924 to Kearney and Anna Mae (Folden) Ogdin. She grew up working on the farm and learned a work ethic that lasted a life time.
At 96 years of age, she was still weekly mowing two acres of grass with a push mower and raking it by hand.
She graduated from Rutland High School in 1941. Maxine was an excellent student. She skipped a grade and at the age of 16 graduated at the top of her class.
Maxine then went to Columbus Business University (Columbus, Ohio) and while working for her room and board, finished her two-year business program in 5 months. After graduation, she took a job in Columbus but wanted to move back to Meigs County. She came home for a weekend and had an interview. Two weeks later, at the age of 17, she began her long banking career as Secretary to the President of Pomeroy National Bank (PNB).
Maxine met her future husband, Charles Griffith on a blind date right after World War II. He was fresh out of the Army and fought the Nazi’s all over Europe and in the Battle of the Bulge. The first time he laid eyes on her, he said “That’s the girl for me!” They loved to dance and boat on the Ohio River. They had 45 years of marriage until his death in 1993.
Maxine felt that education and trustworthy character were keys to advancement in life.
In 1963, she graduated from The Ohio School Banking at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She was the only women in the class graduation photo. For much of her business career, being the only women in the room was the norm and not the exception. She completed all three course groups available from The American Institute of Banking and The American Bankers Association through the Advanced Level.
To further her ability to advise customers, she got her real estate license and her insurance license.
In 1973, The National Association of Bank Women (NABW) chose one women bank officer out of 5 states (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York) to receive a scholarship to the top ranked 3-year banking graduate school in the country. Maxine was chosen for that scholarship.
In 1976, Maxine graduated from The Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Her thesis was one of the very few selected for the permanent archives at Rutgers University and used in teaching future graduate courses.
For several years, Maxine taught “Principals of Bank Operation” at Parkersburg Community College, WVU.
Some of Maxine's responsibility’s at PNB included all bank operations, employee acquisition, investing federal funds, loans (She helped many young people buy their first car, house or get their student loan for college), advertising and marketing, community outreach and National Bank Examiners.
Every year she also went to each school in the county to teach seniors a full afternoon class in “Wise Money Management”.
The American Bankers Association selected Maxine as one of the five people nationwide to comprise the National Security Committee.
Maxine was first in line to the President of Pomeroy National Bank for decades and was told many times by the president “If you were just a man, I wouldn’t be looking for someone to take my place”. So, he sold the bank to Bank One.
Maxine started for Bank One the next day. She was put in charge of assisting newly purchased regional banks with their transition to Bank One.
After transitions were completed, she was asked if she would like to organize their New “Senior Champs” group travel program for customers 55 and older. She began organizing trips and a whole new chapter of her life. Her groups went to almost all of the National Parks, Branson, MO concerts, New York City, The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, Alaskan cruises, The Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, NM, river cruises on the Mississippi Queen and every place in between.
Maxines career in banking spanned 56 years and 3 months.
For another 10 years after retirement, Maxine directed her own travel program “On the Road Again with Maxine”. This allowed busloads of people from the area access to organized travel all over the United States and around the world. The only thing they had to do was to pack their bags and get it to the bus!
Maxine had an adventurous side. She has white-water rafted in Alaska, parasailed in Acapulco, danced with Native Americans in New Mexico and climbed Dunns River Falls in Jamacia twice.
She was a longtime supporter of The Ohio State University Buckeyes and The Ohio State University Marching Band. She attended every OSU Band Alumni Day at Ohio Stadium. She accompanied the OSU Alumni Band on its trip to Ireland to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. Three years later, she accompanied the Alumni Band for a three-week concert tour of Germany.
She loved boating with her family and friends, camping on the Ohio River, working in her beautiful flower beds, and taking the time to enjoy a sunset.
Maxine lived through The Great Depression, World War II, the slow fight for equal rights and all that followed. For women, she strove to set an example for the importance of education, excellence in business and work ethic. She hoped for the day of total equality such that qualified working women never again hear these words ‘If you were just a man”.
Maxine Griffith had an extraordinary life well lived.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Kearney Elsworth and Anna Mae (Folden) Ogdin and husband Charles Edward Griffith; sister, Janet Faye Jones and brother-in-law, Herbert Jones.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 4:00pm at the Anderson McDaniel Funeral Home in Pomeroy with Paul Reed officiating. Burial will follow in the Meigs Memory Gardens. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 from 6-8:00pm at the funeral home.
How do you summarize 101 years of a hardworking, extraordinary life. Maxine’s life story could fill a book.
Maxine Ogdin was born on the family farm near Salem Center June 22, 1924 to Kearney and Anna Mae (Folden) Ogdin. She grew up working on the farm and learned a work ethic that lasted a life time.
At 96 years of age, she was still weekly mowing two acres of grass with a push mower and raking it by hand.
She graduated from Rutland High School in 1941. Maxine was an excellent student. She skipped a grade and at the age of 16 graduated at the top of her class.
Maxine then went to Columbus Business University (Columbus, Ohio) and while working for her room and board, finished her two-year business program in 5 months. After graduation, she took a job in Columbus but wanted to move back to Meigs County. She came home for a weekend and had an interview. Two weeks later, at the age of 17, she began her long banking career as Secretary to the President of Pomeroy National Bank (PNB).
Maxine met her future husband, Charles Griffith on a blind date right after World War II. He was fresh out of the Army and fought the Nazi’s all over Europe and in the Battle of the Bulge. The first time he laid eyes on her, he said “That’s the girl for me!” They loved to dance and boat on the Ohio River. They had 45 years of marriage until his death in 1993.
Maxine felt that education and trustworthy character were keys to advancement in life.
In 1963, she graduated from The Ohio School Banking at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She was the only women in the class graduation photo. For much of her business career, being the only women in the room was the norm and not the exception. She completed all three course groups available from The American Institute of Banking and The American Bankers Association through the Advanced Level.
To further her ability to advise customers, she got her real estate license and her insurance license.
In 1973, The National Association of Bank Women (NABW) chose one women bank officer out of 5 states (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York) to receive a scholarship to the top ranked 3-year banking graduate school in the country. Maxine was chosen for that scholarship.
In 1976, Maxine graduated from The Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Her thesis was one of the very few selected for the permanent archives at Rutgers University and used in teaching future graduate courses.
For several years, Maxine taught “Principals of Bank Operation” at Parkersburg Community College, WVU.
Some of Maxine's responsibility’s at PNB included all bank operations, employee acquisition, investing federal funds, loans (She helped many young people buy their first car, house or get their student loan for college), advertising and marketing, community outreach and National Bank Examiners.
Every year she also went to each school in the county to teach seniors a full afternoon class in “Wise Money Management”.
The American Bankers Association selected Maxine as one of the five people nationwide to comprise the National Security Committee.
Maxine was first in line to the President of Pomeroy National Bank for decades and was told many times by the president “If you were just a man, I wouldn’t be looking for someone to take my place”. So, he sold the bank to Bank One.
Maxine started for Bank One the next day. She was put in charge of assisting newly purchased regional banks with their transition to Bank One.
After transitions were completed, she was asked if she would like to organize their New “Senior Champs” group travel program for customers 55 and older. She began organizing trips and a whole new chapter of her life. Her groups went to almost all of the National Parks, Branson, MO concerts, New York City, The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, Alaskan cruises, The Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, NM, river cruises on the Mississippi Queen and every place in between.
Maxines career in banking spanned 56 years and 3 months.
For another 10 years after retirement, Maxine directed her own travel program “On the Road Again with Maxine”. This allowed busloads of people from the area access to organized travel all over the United States and around the world. The only thing they had to do was to pack their bags and get it to the bus!
Maxine had an adventurous side. She has white-water rafted in Alaska, parasailed in Acapulco, danced with Native Americans in New Mexico and climbed Dunns River Falls in Jamacia twice.
She was a longtime supporter of The Ohio State University Buckeyes and The Ohio State University Marching Band. She attended every OSU Band Alumni Day at Ohio Stadium. She accompanied the OSU Alumni Band on its trip to Ireland to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. Three years later, she accompanied the Alumni Band for a three-week concert tour of Germany.
She loved boating with her family and friends, camping on the Ohio River, working in her beautiful flower beds, and taking the time to enjoy a sunset.
Maxine lived through The Great Depression, World War II, the slow fight for equal rights and all that followed. For women, she strove to set an example for the importance of education, excellence in business and work ethic. She hoped for the day of total equality such that qualified working women never again hear these words ‘If you were just a man”.
Maxine Griffith had an extraordinary life well lived.
Original Format
Collection
Citation
“Maxine Griffith,” Meigs County Library History Site, accessed December 12, 2025, http://host69-005.meigs.lib.oh.us/items/show/26540.