Harrell Lanier Griffin died peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 25th, 2022.

A long-time resident of Amite, Louisiana, he is survived by his wife of 60 years, Karen Gahn Griffin, a daughter, Gwendolynn Griffin Durham, a grandson, Brian Durham, two brothers, Lewis Griffin (Dorothy) and Ruffin Griffin, and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Ruffin Wilson Griffin, and his mother, Vera Anna Lanier Griffin.

Harrell was a businessman in Amite for more than 40 years. He was the owner and publisher of The News Digest of Amite, the St. Helena Echo, the Hammond Vindicator, the Kentwood Ledger and the Magnolia (Mississippi) Gazette, and the founder of the Ponchatoula Times. He was a member of the Louisiana Press Association and the Mississippi Press Association. He printed newspapers across the Florida Parishes.

Harrell was a co-founder of the former Peoples Bank of Amite and a member of the board of Directors. He served in the U. S. Army in what was then the Counter Intelligence Corp, stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Harrell was a quiet, loving man with a profound sense of duty to his fellow man and an unflinching devotion to doing what he felt was right, in spite of any obstacles. A parishioner of St. Helena Catholic Church, he served as a lector and as a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. His hobbies included collecting and repairing clocks, and he was an active member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. He was also a member of the Louisiana Archaeological Association. He loved his garden and his chickens and spending time outside in the woods around his Amite residence.

Harrell was known as a generous man with his time, and he will be sorely missed by the many, many people whose lives he touched, both in his hometown and beyond.

Visitation at St. Helena Catholic Church Hall, Amite, from 9:30AM until 11:30AM with Funeral Mass at St. Helena Catholic Church at Noon on Thursday, December 29, 2022. Services conducted by Fr. Mark Beard. Interment Shiloh Church of Christ Cemetery, Amite, LA. McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.