Arlene M. (Ivory) Griswold

She was born in Dunkirk on Dec. 17, 1925, the daughter of LeRoy Ivory and Frances (Levandoski) Ivory.

A lifelong Dunkirk resident, Arlene attended St. Mary’s Academy for 12 years, graduating with the class of 1943.

Following high school, she began working as a billing clerk in the office of Van Raalte Co. Later she was employed by JC Penney, whose shoe department was instrumental in her obtaining the position of manager at Triangle Shoes at the D&F Plaza for 15 years.

On September 12,1946, Arlene married James Griswold at St. Mary’s Church in Dunkirk. They were married for 68 years until Jim’s passing in 2014.

Arlene was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church and served as a eucharistic minister for 24 years. She also took Communion to many ill persons in their homes on First Fridays of each month and held Communion Services each week for the residents of St. Vincent’s Home.

Her granddaughter, Amy, asked her to teach religion classes for the First Communion class and she stayed for seven years.

She was the president of the Mother’s Club of St. Mary’s School and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Guild .

Arlene enjoyed volunteering. She taught art classes at the Chautauqua County Home and patterning at St. Joseph’s, delivered Meals On Wheels and was a literacy teacher.

Arlene and her husband, Jim, were instrumental in the scheduling and maintaining of the Dunkirk High School Ski Club for 19 years. They chaperoned a group of 16 to Innsbruck, Austria for a week. The club also skied at Killington and Stowe, Vt., and local areas.

In 1962, the city of Dunkerque, France invited the people of Dunkirk, N.Y., to its 300th anniversary in thanksgiving for all the help that was given to them during World War II. 68 people attended from Dunkirk. After 10 days in Dunkerque, they took several side trips. One highlight was an audience with Pope John XXIII at Gandolfo, Italy, his summer residence, with the group also visiting Geneva, Switzerland and Brussels, Belgium.

Arlene and Jim spent 24 years wintering at Indian Creek Park in Ft. Myers Beach, Fla. They went to school to become guardian ad litems who represent children in court.

The couple were avid square dancers for more than 33 years, belonging to the Trail and Squares of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada among other clubs. They attended many square dance conventions throughout the states along with dances in Hawaii and Alaska, making many friends along the way.

Surviving are two daughters: Janet (Harry) Centner of Fredonia and Judy (Craig) Mekus of Dunkirk; along with four granddaughters: Dara (Mark) Sage of Hawaii, Susan O’Rourke of Orchard Park, N.Y., Heather (John) Scharber of Hawaii, and Amy (Mike) Pease of Cherry Creek, N.Y.; three great-granddaughters, Erin, Caitlin and Jill O’Rourke, all of Orchard Park, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; and her sister, Patricia (Harry) Franklin.

A private service was held at the convenience of the family. Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Northern Chautauqua Catholic School.

To post condolences or memories go to http://mcgrawkowal.com

Arrangements were by the McGraw-Kowal Fun-eral Home.