SAMUEL JESSE “SAM” FRANCIS, FORMERLY OF ARROWWOOD, ALBERTA WAS CALLED HOME TO HIS LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST ON FEBRUARY 5, I998 AT VULCAN, ALBERTA AT THE AGE OF 95 YEARS.
SAM WAS BORN SEPTEMBER I 1, 1902 NEAR WESTBORO, MISSOURI, U.S.A. HE CAME WITH HIS PARENTS MILTON W AND MARGARET V FRANCIS TO THE GLADYS RIDGE DISTRICT IN I904 AND MOVED ON TO THE HOMESTEAD IN THE MAJORVILLE AREA IN 1912. SAM ATTENDED LIBERTY SCHOOL AND HELPED AT HOME AND ON THE NEIGHBOUR’S THRESHING MACHINES IN THE FALL. IN 1925 THEIR HOME BURNED DOWN AND THE FAMILY RETURNED TO HIS FATHERS ACREAGE IN FLORIDA. THE FOLLOWING SPRING THEY RETURNED TO CANADA AND FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS, SAM WORKED AROUND MAJORVILLE, MOST OF THE TIME FOR MARGARETS FATHER, HENRY WINCH.
IN I937 HE MARRIED MARGARET ELIZABETH WINCH AND MOVED TO CLUNY, WHERE SAM WORKED FOR FRED FAIRBOURN AT HIS GARAGE AND MACHINE SHOP. IN I940 SAM AND MARGARET MOVED TO WORK FOR HERMAN FORSYTH SOUTH OF THE BOW RIVER WHERE HE WORKED DURING THE GROWING AND HARVEST MONTHS. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS MOVED TO ARROWWOOD TO WORK FOR MR. AND MRS. BOB WILLIAMS UNTIL THE SPRING OF 1947. IN I944 THEY PURCHASED THREE QUARTERS OF THE DEITZ LAND EIGHT MILES SOUTH OF CROWFOOT IN THE MAJORVILLE AREA. THAT LAND WAS FARMED BY OLIVER INGRAHAM. IN 1947 THEY MOVED TO THE HEACOCK HALF AND BOUGHT A QUARTER SECTION FROM THE INDIAN DEPARTMENT. IN MARCH OF 1948 PURCHASED ANOTHER HALF SECTION FROM INVESTORS HOLDING AND THE NEXT FALL PURCHASED THE HEACOCK HALF SECTION.
IN I950 THEY BECAME INTERESTED IN TRAINING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BECOME MISSIONARIES. IT WAS THROUGH THE OSBORN FOUNDATION THAT HAD A PLAN WHEREBY THEY COULD SUPPORT NATIVE PASTORS, AND SO THEY SUPPORTED MANY IN AFRICA, INDIA, PHILIPPINES, SOUTH AMERICA AND ITALY. CHURCH SERVICES BEGAN IN A TENT AT QUEENSTOWN AUGUST 20, 1950 WITH REV. C.D.AND MRS. MQCREARY OF CALGARY TAKING THE SERVICES. BY I953 THE QUEENSTOWN CHRISTIAN TRAINING BIBLE SCHOOL WAS FORMED. THE CONGREGATION ASKED SAM TO TAKE OVER FULL TIME THE SERVICES BEGII\INING MAY 6, 1960 AS THE McCREARY’S WERE RETURNING TO CALGARY, AND WOULD VISIT AND TAKE PART IN THE SERVICE OCCASIONALLY WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL MARCH 1970 WHEN THE CHURCH CLOSED. SAM AND MARGARET HELPED TO BUILD MORE THAN TWENTY CHURCHES IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES.
IN 1971 THEY RENTED THEIR LAND OUT. MARGARET PASSED AWAY IN 1984 AND SAM CONTINUED TO RESIDE ON THE FARM AT QUEENSTOWN. HE CELEBRATED HIS NINETIETH BIRTHDAY IN 1992 AT ARROWWOOD. SAM MOVED INTO THE PETER DAWSON LODGE IN 1994. THE FOLLOWING SPRING HE HOSTED AN ACTION SALE AND SOLD HIS MACHINERY AND HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS. SAM HAS CONTINUED TO RESIDE IN THE LODGE SINCE.
SAM‘S LOVED FOR THE LORD WAS ALWAYS HIS FIRST LOVE, HE LOVED PEOPLE AND SHARING WITH THEM IN HIS GENTLE MANNER AND CALMING VOICE. HE LOVED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. HE HAD A WONDERFUL SINCE OF HUMOUR AND WAS ALWAYS QUICK WITH A WITTY REPLY.
SAM IS SURVIVED BY A SISTER ROSE NORTHCOTT OF BROOKS, TWO BROTHERS-IN-LAW HUGH WINCH OF VULCAN, A SISTER-IN-LAW ALICE WINCH OF MILO, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS. BESIDES HIS WIFE MARGARET, SAM WAS PREDECEASED BY TWO BROTHERS AND THEIR WIVES CLAIR (BARBARA “LELA”) AND BEN (MARTHA), TWO SISTERS AND THEIR HUSBANDS ESTELLA (WILLIAM) KIEMELE AND DE (SCOTT) TOBIASSION, THREE HALF BROTHERS EMMETT, ELBA AND WILLIAM “BILL” FRANCIS, A HALF SISTER MINNIE LINES, THREE BROTHERS- IN -LAW LOUIS GREAVES, CHARLES NORTHCOTT AND IVAN (FLORENCE) WINCH, A SISTER-IN-LAW BERNICE WINCH AND HIS PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE TUESDAY FEBRUARY I0, 1998 AT 1:30 RM AT ARROWWOOD COMMUNITY HALL WITH MARVIN WINCH OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT ARROWWOOD CEMETERY.
HONOURARY BEARERS WERE MARGARET HOUSE, HUGH WINCH, LEE WILLIAMS, MARY MCDERMIT AND GEORGE ROBERTS.
CASKET BEARERS WERE KODY HENRY, BOB BOYD, OWEN BOYD, MONTY BEAGLE, KEVEN KEBS AND MH{E WHITESIDE.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN SAM‘S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO EITHER THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR VULCAN FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES BOX 341, VULCAN T0L 2BO.
VULCAN FUNERAL HOME, DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE -403-485-2633.