September 25, 1834 – June 11, 1911
Granville Weston Follett was born at Madison, Lake County, Ohio, September 25th, 1834. In his early life he migrated to Fremont, Indiana, where he remained 12 years. While in Fremont he became a clerk in a store there. Eventually the store was bought by Dr. Lovern L. Moore, who admitted him to a partnership in the business. During this partnership, Granville was a boarder in More’s home. The association continued until he sold out his interests in Indiana and went to Granville, Iowa. There he conducted a general merchandise business six years, and during that time he also was appointed to the office of Postmaster on October 15, 1867.
On September 7, 1868, in Batvia, Branch County, Michigan, Granville married Lucy Abel. Four children, Lyman L. Lovern, born in 1869; Mary E., born and died in 1876; Carrie Ella, born in 1873 and died in 1877; and Claude Weston, born in 1878. In 1888 he married Mrs. Susanna Thacker.
Granville came with his family to Kings county in 1875, following L. L. Moore. He opened a store in what was called Moore’s addition and continued there until 1877. With the railroad having been constructed, he found a better location on Front (later to become E) and Fox streets, opposite the depot. About that time, he and Joel Allen Fox and Dr. Moore bought squatters’ rights to the quarter-section of land which is now the townsite of Lemoore. He continued in the mercantile business until September, 1882, when his store was destroyed by fire. From that time until 1884, he was profitably employed in boring artesian wells; and from 1884 to 1894 his principal business was threshing. When Kings county was formed he, took a deep interest in the new county, and in 1894, he was elected as Assessor, a position which he filled for two terms.
Granville died on June 11, 1915 at the home of his son. His funeral was held on June 13, 1915 at the home of his son Lyman Follett. Rev. R. K. Eccles conducted the services. The pallbearers were G. B. Chinn, E. G. Sellers, E. Erlanger, Charles Bailey, R. A. Moore and M. Howells.
He is buried in the Lemoore Cemetery in Section 1, Block 12 Lot 21, Space 4.