Wallace Scruggs

My maternal grandfather:

Born on April 8, 1888

Died on November 11, 1980

Grampa circa 1979

 He was born and raised in the Rabun Gap area in the northeast part of Georgia.  I've always been told that he left home when he was 14 to work for the railroad and stayed with it until he retired many years later.  He settled in Spokane, Washington, marrying Mae Keller.  They had two daughters, Virginia Isabel Scruggs Samson and Phyllis Scruggs Allebe.

I knew him as a kind, but ornery man who liked to get a rise out of my mother. He loved to tell stories of little escapades with his neighbors and their cats. He avidly gardened into his early 90s and joined us for holiday and family dinners a few times each year.  Dad would pick him up and drive him back home again.   When the time came, he moved  in with us where Mom could keep an eye on him.

At Fairmount Memorial Park, Spokane, WA
overlooking the river.

His father, John Russell Scruggs

Wallace's mother - more info below

Grampa with oldest daughter and son-in-law 

With three of his granddaughters in the early 1970s, Spokane, WA

With his oldest granddaughter, Kamisha, in the  mid 1940s

Spokane, WA - Early 1900s

Spokane Falls, 1922

Another view of the Falls - 1917

Spokane's Monroe Street Bridge - the man in the hat is my grandpa, Wallace Scruggs

 This is the back of the 1917 postcard - a short letter to my grandmother, May Keller Scruggs, from her sister, Henrietta who lived in Colton, WA at the time.

The back of the 1922 postcard is a note to my Grandmother Scruggs from her other sister, Bertha.

Marion Dorsett Samson

1 - Bill & Virginia with brother, Dick and wife, Skip.  2. Civil War Medal of Bill's grandfather, Andrew N. Samson.  3.  Young Bill in Witchita, Kansas

born December 1, 1918, Witchita, KS
died September 7, 2005, Banning, CA
Father: Edward Dean Samson, Missouri
Mother: Mary West, b. 1879, Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
Siblings:  Wynema (Samson) Van Hoesen, Hugh Samson, Richard Samson, Dean Samson, Charles Marvin Samson
Wife: Virginia Isabell Scruggs, Spokane, WA
Children: Kamisha West (Samson) Langsdale, Paige Mary (Samson) Knight, Dean Wallace Samson, Hugh Bryan Samson, Thomas Burke Samson, Patricia Suzanne (Samson) Pratt, Lisa Marie (Samson) Landry

Young "Bill Mac", as he was known, front left

Army Air Corp, WWII

Proud dad with daughter Paige

Circa 1970, carving the turkey

Around 1970 with sons, Dean and Hugh

More photos collected over the years - you can click on the slideshow to see the album on Fotki:

Yartzeit

Bill & Virginia Samson

Newly married!  Early 1940s before he headed to Europe

Married on September 16, 1942, Bill and Virginia celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2002.  Three years later, a week shy of their 63rd anniversary, Bill (my dad) passed on.  They had a full life with many moves throughout the years.  Among the places they lived are Witchita, Kansas and Seattle, Renton, Fall City, Kirkland, and  Spokane in Washington, Rocky Boy Indian Reservation and Havre in Montana, Riggins and Kamiah in Idaho, and Banning, California.  They also had a six month stint in the Philippines as part of their YWAM ministry years.

With sons, Hugh and Dean, and grandson, Dusty around the late 1970s

At home in Kamiah, Idaho - their last assignment with YWAM

During their time of living out at Ft. George Wright in Spokane - mid 1980s

Headed for the Philippines with YWAM

Three years before Dad passed.

Samson Family

The family of Edward Dean Samson, my paternal grandfather

 Edward Dean when he worked for Cook Paint Company  as a salesman in Kansas City, Missouri.

 His wife, Mary West Samson known affectionately as Muddie.  This was taken in the 1930s.

 His oldest son, Dean Samson

His only daughter, Wynema

 His son Richard, known as Dick. 

 His son, Hugh

 His son, Charles Wallace, who died in infancy.

His youngest son, Marion Dorsett, known as Bill Mac (my dad).