Obituaries: Sam S. Fowler, 1974, Winn Parish, LA.
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483

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From:  December 11, 1974 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American

Sam S. Fowler Dies; Rites At Union Hill

Funeral services for Sam S. Fowler, 88, of Wheeling Community, near
Montgomery, were held at 2 p.m. Monday in the Union Hill Baptist Churcy
near Montgomery with the Rev. Roy Moore and Jack Jones officiating.

Burial was in the Mt. Zion Cemetery under direction of Southern Funeral
Home of Winnfield.

Mr. Fowler died Saturday December 7, 1974, at his son's residence at Ft.
Necessity after a long illness.

A member of the Union Hill Baptist Church, Mr. Fowler was a native of Winn
Parish and a retired school bus driver.  He was a member of Montgomery
Masonic Lodge No. 168 for over 50 years.

Survivors include two sons, Rayford Fowler of Seagraves, Texas and
W. A. Fowler of Ft. Necessity; 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Pallbearers were John L. Holmes, P. K. Smith, L. C. Kieffer, Irvin
Neal, Howard McLaren, and Jack McLaren.


Also appearing in another edition of the Winn Parish Enterprise News-American
was the following:

MISTER SAM IS DEAD

(A Tribute to the Memory of Sam Fowler, by Russell Terry)

Sam Fowler is dead.  His neighbors gather to pay "their respects" and to see
that he was properly buried.  Uncle Sam was 88 years old.  His health had
failed him the past few months and it was time for him to go.  He died
peacefully.  He had never feared anything in life except for the Lord and he
didn't fear death.  It was all very fitting and proper and he would have liked
it that way.

The treasures that he left were his children, his grandchildren, and his great
grandchildren.  His house and place were paid for.  He didn't believe in
owing anybody anything.  He paid his debts and taxes and was grateful thathe
was able to do so.  He didn't know any better than to tell the truth even when
some thought he was foolish to do so.  After all, he only had a fourth
grade education.

Work was the only way of life that he knew.  Sam's father died when he was
eight years old making him the head of a family.  "I learned to hustle real
early," was his way of expressing it.  One never knew whether he meant early
in the morning or early in life.  It probably meant both.  The eight-hour day
meant very little to him in his jobs as school bus driver and farmer. 
'Working with the kids keeps me young and working on the farm keeps me fed,"
he said.

A good story teller and a good sense of humor made him the center of the group
where he was.  One cold frosty morning he made his school bus run without a
coat or a wrap of any kind.  The other drivers were standing about with heavy
coats on while Sam was in his shirt sleeves.  Finally one of the other drivers
asked him, "Sam, why aren't you wearing a coat?"  With that look in his eye
that let you know that he was just waiting for that question, Sam said, "Well,
boys, I'll tell you.  I am just soaking up some of this cold to save it for
next summer when it gets so hot."

Sam Fowler was never elected to a high political office.  In fact, some of his
friends say that Sam was never much of a politician.  "He is just too plain
spoken.  He will tell you exactly where he stands on anything," was the
explanation given.

His God and his Church were his first loves.  The Holy Bible was the main book
in his library although he was well read and conversant on a surprising number
of subjects. 

So why are we writing about Sam Fowler?  He didn't have much money nor fame. 
Newspapers are supposed to be concerned with the unusual, the extraordinary. 
Well, that is just the point of this discourse.  The Sam Fowlers are
disappearing from this civilization.  The honest hard working individual who
believes in God and his Country and doesn't know any better than to tell the
truth, pay his debts and taxes is a fast disappearing phenomenon that made
this country great.  What are we going to do when there are no more Sam
Fowlers?