Thursday of this week marks the anniversaries of the deaths of two men in my direct family tree.  Today I’ll talk about the older of the two–my grandfather Samuel Thomas DeMoss, Sr.

Samuel was the third child of Samuel I. and Blanche (Cox) DeMoss, born February 25, 1918 in probably Knox County, IN.  He had two older sisters, Doris and Frances, and a younger brother William.  The 1920 census has the family living in Taylor Township, Greene County and in Edwardsport in 1930.

Samuel married Lillian Edeine Fielden on April 23, 1937.  They are residing in Edwardsport in the 1940 census.  He is reported having finished 4 years of high school, and Lester Bemis is living with them.  Lester is incorrectly listed as his father-in-law, and I will explain this in more detail on November 25.  Samuel and Edeine went on to have seven children, four of which grew to maturity.  On November 6, 1955, Samuel succumbed to throat cancer, leaving behind a wife and four children.  He is buried in the Edwardsport Town Cemetery.

I don’t know a whole lot more about my grandfather.  My dad was only twelve when he died and no one really talked about him by the time my siblings and cousins were around.  I know that he was a farmer and that his neighbors pitched in to help get that last year’s crop in.  Oddly enough, while visiting my college roommate’s grandparents one afternoon, I discovered her grandfather had been one of those kind enough to help the family in their time of need.

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Taylor Township is in Greene County, IN between Odon and Bloomfield.  The junction of I-69 and US 231 is in Taylor Township.