About 1939

Eulogy

Mom was the third child of Welby Sampsel and Mabel Miller Sampsel. As a teenager she was active in her high school band where she played clarinet. Her school Ross High School of Fremont Ohio was invited to play in the Rose Bowl Parade, which unfortunately they where unable to raise the money. She also told me that like I she played in a band she played the piano, I understand she was not half bad. She told me the guys in the band told her that she was going to do a solo, which she told them No she wasn’t. They then informed her that they will stop playing and she will need to continue. She told that when they stop she would also. The night of the show the band played and the guys all stopped and so did mom.

I spoke to Uncle Bob this morning and he wanted me to say that Mom was a caring and loving person, when she was there in Atlanta last October at rehab she would give her famous Sampsel smile to thank the nurses. When she’d finish up her meal for would clean up after her self so the staff didn’t have to, always doing her part. He went on to say that she was a pretty young girl who came to Texas when he graduated from Air Force Training which he appreciated. That she always tried to do what was nest for us kids. When she would come out to visit him she’d sit all day on his porch and watch the woodpeckers in the yard.

Mom and Dad met at the Sandusky County Fair in September of 1954 was introduced by one of mom's friend and high School Classmate, Judy Trick (Ludwig). Mom was bound foe Bowling Green University. They would write letters back and forth but didn't start dating until around Thanks giving. They fell head over feet in love. He was stationed at a Navy Air station at Atlantic City, NJ came home nearly every weekend to attend her University functions. The trip was about 1,200 miles.
They got married October 9, 1955

Not many people know that I was actually the third child for mom and dad the first 2 were still born, I was in her opinion the last chance. When it came time for me to enter the world, she did not realize that she was in labor. She thought she had gas? So she thought me as her little __________well we won’t go there. In the end she had 4 of us.

I remember when her parents would come out to visit us, mom would let us eat all the Nabisco cookies and crackers in the house just before they’d arrive. I asked her why she let us (not that I was complaining mind you, but still curious) she told me that her father worked for Sunshine and we COULD NOT HAVE NABISCO products in the house.

Mom loved being in the pool. I always remember mom in our pool at every chance she’d get. When she was younger she taught kids how to swim at a local pool. The amazing thing is she did not know how to swim herself.

Mom and I talked a bit through out the years there was many times that I would say things to her when I was younger that she’d have a hard time believing I could remember so much. Like the time when I was about 4 years old when we still lived in Ohio, I remember playing outside when it started to get very windy and I saw this neat black cloud about ½ to 1 mile away. What made this cloud neat was that it looked like a black funnel. I just wanted to stay on the porch and watch this cloud but mom had what she thought was a better idea. Get in the house to a safe place, but I just wanted to watch the cloud even if it was out the window, but she still would not let me? In case you have not figured it out it was a tornado.

I also mentioned a time when I thought we lived by the beach that I would always play by the big pipe that led into the water. Again this was sometime when we still lived in Ohio, apparently we’d go stay at a beach house on Erie Lake.

As you know the baby of the family Steve past away last February and I mentioned how mom can be very creative.

How she would tie a rope to his waist so he would only be able to go as far as the end of the line.

Well Mom was creative as a cook as well!

One of my favorite foods she’d cook was Sloppy Joes, nobody made Sloppy Joes like mom. I was always the one she’d asked to taste test the meat before she served it. This one time I tasted it and told her it just did not seem right something was missing. She could not believe that I was able to tell that one ingredient was missing. It seems when times where rough for the family she’d put bread crumbs into the mix to help it go further, and this time since money was not an issue she made it with out the bread. She after that time made it with the bread.

Another favorite was when she made ham for dinner nothing better then her ham gravy. I remember she made it once when her parents where visiting from Ohio and she made ham gravy. Her mother just looked at her and said "You can not make ham gravy" and mom said, "You can’t?" weather or not you can I know my mom made the best ham gravy.

Mom, always being creative one night made Beef and Noodles for dinner. Dinner had been served and as we sat down and started eating, something just did not seem right, then it dawned on her there was No Noodles in the beef and noodles?

There was also the time when I was off on some Scout camp where she made tamales for the first time. From what she and others have told me she heated the water and placed the tamales into the water after of course she removed the cornhusk. They ended up in her words having tamale soup.

In the mid 1970’s to early 1980’s dad worked out of state building a business, he would be gone Monday to Friday so mom had to take care of 4 kids. 2 where fairly well behaved, and the other 2 where handfuls, I will not say who where who, but one was our version of Dennis the Menace and the other was well, shall we just say a holy terror.

Before, you think I never got in to trouble I had my fair share of trouble as a child. I used to get into fights with the neighborhood kids, and since I was always bigger then most of my friends she instructed me in no uncertain terms I was not to fight with them.

So I just took my anger out on Pam, Cindy, Steve, the wall etc. she once told me after all this "I wish I had never told you not to fight."

There was a time a friend of mine stayed with us for a while. As we were out and about, this friend picked up a small football without paying for it from the Alpha Bet at Bolsa and Magnolia. We then went to the TG and I store where we where caught with the football. Instead calling the police they called my parents. Mom and Dad punished us by making us clean all the weeds around the pool we had, while everyone else enjoyed the pool. It was not until years later that she told me that they knew I did not take part in the stealing of the football, but they could not punish him only.

Mom got involved in scouting and not by choice she served on the committee, volunteered by dad just as I volunteered him. She’d help sell Girl Scout cookies for Pam and Cindy, she’d sell popcorn for Steve and I. Anytime we had a fundraiser she’d sell 90 to 95 percent of what we got credit for.

During my last 3 years of high school she’d wake up at 4:30 in the morning Monday through Friday to wake me up so I could get to water polo practice. Many times she’d drive me there.

Even though she worked she always made time to come to at least one of my water polo games during the week. I remember being in the goal when all of a sudden I’d heard Wee Little Dougy and I knew my mom was there and she brought a family friend Bucky to the game and there she was smiling (laughing inside I am sure). I asked her why she brought him along, her response was "So you’d have a cheering section"

As many of you know I had very long hair at one time and She and Dad always would tell me it did not matter that I looked like a hippie, but that I’d do my best in what ever I did.

A time comes in every mother’s life when they have to give up the hold on their child, for me it came July 1979, As I had a big surprise for my parents. One night as they where enjoying the cool summer evening I informed them that I joined the Navy. Mom’s response was, When, Why, and What for? I told her September, to get a job and to learn a skill. She was not happy but proud. When I called her 6 weeks after being in the Navy to let her know I was being discharged on a medical she was very excited and happy.

She was always concerned about other people, there where many times she’d let friends of her children live with us. We’d have extra brothers and sisters for a month or two or more. She even to this day if she had the room would let the friends of her grandchildren stay if they needed a place.

I can remember a time when she and dad where going to have a party and invite all their friends, and there was one friend from work whom mom really loved she wanted her and her husband to be there. But this friend was black and mom was afraid of how they’d feel being the only non-whites at the party. She expressed that to me and I asked her if she talked to her friend? Which she had not, so she did and they came and all had a great time (This was late 60 to early 70’s).

A Hymn we sign in our church

Each life that touches ours for good, Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;

Thou sendest blessings from above, Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow, What greater goodness can we know

Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways, Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs, We hold forever in our hearts

A sweet and hallowed memory, Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim, Devotion to the Savior's name,

Who bless our days with peace and love, We praise thy goodness, Lord above.

High Picture 1953 or 54

Tribute

Who is Carol Rowe? She is

With the many conversations we’ve had especially as I began working on our family genealogy we had many opportunities to talk about the family. She was very proud of her brother Bob, who she thought of as a hero not just for what he did in all his years in the Air Force but in life in general.

With her sister Norma she to was proud of her completing her schooling and becoming a nurse and working with children. And when Aunt Norma continued her education in nursing after so many years she was really proud of her.

For her sister in-laws and brother in-laws, she considered them just as her sisters and brothers.

She truly loved all of her nieces and nephews and was proud of each and everyone.

Of her children she always found something to be proud of us.

For Pam I really don’t know what it was by I know there was something. Only kidding, she was proud of how Pam a single mother has done everything she can to raise two boys.

For Cindy it was how she became a successful businesswoman and mother.

For Steve it was how he would always be willing to help those around him. And how he loved his kids and gave her a granddaughter.

As for me I have no idea? But I am sure there was something.

May have been that I gave her 2 great grandsons.

Mom loved her grand children Michael, Jeffrey, Christopher, Jonathon, Joey, E.J., Stevie, Claudia her adopted grand daughter Sophia and Bev’s daughter Billie.

She was always interested in what and how they where doing.

We have learned these past 3 years mom can be a fighter, in 2000 doctors did not think she’d last for very long neither did I. But she fooled everyone and beat that cancer. Still in poor health she continued to fight and lasted a couple of more years before cancer hit her again. Again she fought, holding on for 6 months until finely the fight was over.

Because of her illness she did not hear of the death of her baby boy Steve. Pam told me one of the last she told mom before she died was don’t be surprise on who you may see!

As we all know mom’s life these past few years have been hard for her, now the pain and suffering that she was going through is over and she has gone to a much better existence.

Sir Walter Scott said

"Is death the last sleep? No- it is the last and final awakening."

As must of you know I can not speak without the mention of scripture,

In Job 14:14 Job asked

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

In John 14:19 the Savior answered