In January of 1921, William J. Griffey went into the insurance business by opening an office on Thompson Ave. in downtown Excelsior Springs. Doubtless, he never dreamed that 99 years later, and less than 200 feet from his original location, Griffey Insurance would still be rendering the same services to some of the same families he established as clients in 1921. And there is fairly good reason to assume that he could not have known he would be the first of five generations in the Griffey family to dedicate themselves to that business and to people in the Excelsior Springs area.

Since its beginning, Griffey Insurance offices have been in several locations, yet all within the same 200 feet of commercial space at the corner of Thompson and South streets. Getting to 210 South Street took a regular influx of new Griffey family members and, in 1932, Higdon Griffey joined his father, William, in the insurance business. Higdon was joined by his sons, William J. Griffey II in 1962, and Richard R. Griffey in 1969. In January of 1988, 67 years after its conception to the month, the Griffey family of insurance underwriters was joined by what would mark their fourth generation, William J. Griffey III.

The Griffey’s have always been independent agents, writing policies for auto, home, life, health and commercial (the whole spectrum).

There has been a lot of changes taking place in the world of people and insurance, yet the Griffey’s seem to be proof that there is nothing new under the sun, and that the family business can survive in a community such as our own, regardless of time or changes. We are now introducing Bill IV, the fifth generation of our family serving your family!