Sam Roseberry has had quite a life.  When he was 9 years old he went to work at 4:00 AM to wrap bread at a bakery before school.  After school Sam delivered the Muncie, Indiana newspaper.  He sold them for one penny each.  Sam also worked in a local movie theater where he sold concessions and did the sound effects for the silent movies.  When he was 13 he gave up the afternoon jobs and worked in a foundry. When he was 103 he gave us a great interview, and remained in good health for three more years.  I am sad to announce that Sam died on December 21, 2004 at the age of 106.  Sam was a man with a quick smile and a wonderful sense of humor. I don't know if that was the key of his long life, but I'm sure it was the key to his good life.  Sam Roseberry was a great Veteran of the "Great War".

Meet Sam Roseberry (audio)

Movie mogul Sam (audio)

Basic Training (audio)

Service in France and Big Bertha (audio)

Sam saw the Kaiser (audio)

How Sam won the war (video)

Sam's words of wisdom (audio)

  As a post script I'd like to share a story Sam shared with me when I first met him.  His wife was very ill at the end of her life and required special care which Sam gave to her in their home.  One evening she fell out of bed, and Sam couldn't lift her back into her regular bed.  He made up a bed for the two of them and they slept together that night on the floor.  In the morning they woke up and she told Sam that he ought to go to the nearby bakery to get some breakfast rolls.  He tried to tell her that it was too cold to go out and she accused him of using that as an excuse to avoid the effort.  He said "no it's too cold, I'll show you", so he drug her as best he could to the front door and opened it a crack.  He quickly closed it to the cold blast, and then she hit him.  Sam said "why did you do that".  She said "I hate it when you're right".