While my mom of course did not attend Boys State, it was one of the highlights of her life attending and serving as governor of Girls State and being selected to attend Girls Nation back in the late 1950s, so I wanted to share her obituary.

Molly Sue (Levite) Griffis passed peacefully at her home in Norman, age 83, on Sept. 24, 2021, after a full life and final decline due to Lewy body dementia. Her two children, other close family and friends, and caregivers were by her side.

Molly was born July 13, 1938, to George and Lilly (West) Levite in Lawton, Okla. Raised in Apache with her sister Georgann (Levite) Vineyard, she entertained everyone growing up with her talents as an acrobat, baton twirler and socialite. Molly enjoyed spending time at Levite’s, a general store owned and operated by her father George Levite. She attended Girls State during high school and was elected governor with the somewhat risqué campaign slogan, “Get Hot to Molly.” She was selected to attend Girls Nation in Washington, D.C.

She graduated from Apache High School, then received a B.A. in English at the University of Oklahoma. Honors included Outstanding Freshman Woman and membership in honor societies Alpha Lambda Delta, Tassels and Mortar Board. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. One major accomplishment in college was her relationship with future husband Louis Griffis, as brokered by future father-in-law Lyle Griffis. But during her sophomore year, Molly’s mother encouraged her to date other people before getting too serious with Louis. She followed that advice before returning to the quiet, reliable Louis in her senior year.

In January 1960, Molly and Louis followed a wild impulse to elope, with the informal promise from her father that if the young couple did so, he would gift them the price of a wedding. Unfortunately, Molly’s father had not secured the approval of this promise with her mother, so when Molly reminded him after the fact, he quickly rescinded the promise, claiming that Molly’s mom would “kill him” if there weren’t a full and proper wedding.

Molly and Louis never revealed their first marriage, letting Molly’s mother Lilly plan a proper wedding at the First Christian Church in Apache. (to see more, click this link: https://www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com/tributes/Molly-Griffis)