Ross Martin Sams, Jr.

“With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” Psalm 91:16

A Waco native son, Ross Martin Sams, Jr., 96, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his loved ones, Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, May 25, 2024.

As he requested, a private graveside service was held at Oakwood Cemetery on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, with his daughter, Donna Sams, and others sharing about the life of this incredible man of uncompromising integrity.

Ross was born July 11, 1927, at Hillcrest Sanitarium on Herring Ave. in Waco, Texas, to Ross Martin Sams, Sr. and Olna McDonald Sams. Mrs. John Fisher had him enrolled in the First Baptist Church Cradle Roll before he even left the hospital!

Ross always said he was in “the lucky gene club” and admitted how fortunate he was to have had wonderful parents, a loving sister, and a close family.

Ross learned by his parents’ example, and like his parents, he was a loving and giving husband and father. As his daughter, when I called him at work, I would say, “Are you busy, Daddy?” He would always answer, “Never too busy for you!” I knew he meant it!

About two years after Ross’ birth, his only sibling, Mary Catherine Sams, was born with Cerebral Palsy. When their dad, Ross Sr., asked the doctor what he should do? The doctor told Ross Sr., tell her: “She is smart and beautiful, and she can do anything she wants!” She was, and she did! That cemented our family philosophy!

Ross’ first home was on S. 5th St. Today, you will find a gas station where the house was just yards from I-35 across from Baylor’s campus. The Great Depression plagued our nation when Ross was a child, but he never knew his family was poor because “everyone was poor.” However, his family did own a small office building on their property. Because this building displayed a movie theater advertisement, Ross could go to the movies for free, sometimes seeing the same film several times. Ross would walk downtown and see cowboy movies and Tarzan movies. He would come home and swing from the chinaberry tree, pretending he was Tarzan. Ross loved movies his entire life.

Before Ross entered the fourth grade at Sanger Ave. Elementary school, his family moved to a house on 420 Oriental Road. It was there where Ross became friends with Morse Harrison, Graham Cole, Fred Bostwick, Carl Trautschold, Rook Edwards, John Skinner, Bill Howard, Jack Allen, and Walter Dossett. They would remain his friends for life. Here, Ross learned to play poker, bridge, and blackjack.

As his sister Mary grew, the doctors recommended swimming as the best therapy for Mary’s cerebral palsy.

Ross’ wise parents thought vacations were essential to family life, so they rented a house in Galveston for a month each summer when the kids were young. At about nine years old, Ross found himself caught in a riptide. When his uncle, Rowe Sams, realized it, he swam out and saved him. God had His hand on Ross’ life!

One adventure Ross and Mary discussed was the road trip where their mother, Olna, drove them and her parents, the McDonalds, and Cleo (Mary’s aide) across the southern U.S. to California and back. Ross, an avid reader, would hardly look up from his book as they would pass the Grand Canyon, etc. One of Ross’ favorite traditions was going to the book sale at the Waco Public Library!

On this trip, Ross took a pencil and printed his name on the top beam of a cabin. When the Park Ranger saw what he had done, he instructed Ross to erase his name. Later, Ross informed his family that he had erased someone else’s name and left his name there.

Ross and Mary grew up swimming many hours each summer at the Fishpond. 0nce Mary slipped through her inner tube. I asked her, “Weren’t you afraid you were going to drown?” She answered: “No, I knew Bubba (Ross Jr.) would get me!” The siblings loved each other their entire lives!

When Mary’s husband, Earl Howell, died, Ross took over his sister’s business affairs until her son Hobby grew up and could manage them. Ross was a devoted brother.

If you were Ross’ family or friend, you knew he would do anything for you. He was a loyal person! On the other hand, if you were disloyal, lied, cheated, or broke your word, “he was done! “

Both his daughters grew up with respect for their Daddy. Ross had a way about him; you wanted to please him and get his approval, and the best way you could do that was to “DO THE RIGHT THING!”

Ross was an excellent swimmer and diver. Once, he hit his head on the diving board while trying a new dive. His dad made him get back up on the board and do the same dive so he would not be afraid to try it again. His parent’s example taught him to be an overcomer and never quit.

At 81, Ross did a beautiful flip off Ridgewood’s diving board and “wowed” everyone who saw him. He did it a second time for an even bigger crowd!

Ross enjoyed competition, but even at 6’4” tall, he admitted he was not athletic. However, he loved playing football and basketball in school. He enjoyed watching both sports his entire life.

As a young boy, Ross delighted in summer sessions at Y Camp. He was a competitor at heart and won many contests at camp. His mother made him a scrapbook with all his ribbons. Ross enjoyed looking at that scrapbook and talking about camp, even in his later years. Ross was proud that his dad enabled many other boys the experience of Y Camp tho their own families could not afford it.

Ross was also proud of his mother, who volunteered to be the room mother for him and Mary in elementary school. One fond memory was of their mom bringing a chocolate Noah’s Ark cake to school, complete with animal crackers entering the Ark. Ross’ lifelong friend, neighbor, and schoolmate Arnold Miller discussed his mother’s cake with Ross into their 90s.

During childhood summers, Ross and Mary would visit their maternal grandparents, S.L. (Dee) and Catherine (Katie) McDonald, in west Texas (Brownfield and Rule). These visits allowed their parents to travel together for a month without the children while Ross Sr. sold church furniture for a living.

When Ross was 11, his McDonald grandparents took him to a revival meeting. There, Ross was convicted of his sinful nature and asked Jesus to forgive him and be his Savior. When he returned to Waco, Ross made his profession of faith and was water-baptized at First Baptist Church, where Ross attended his entire life. He followed his family’s example of church attendance and faithfully tithed 10% of his income.

When Ross was in High School, his family moved to 3426 Castle. All of our family members have so many happy memories of this home and the loving folks, Olna and Ross Sams Sr., who owned it and so freely shared it with friends and family.

Later Ross’ parents built another building on their property. The addition had an upstairs apartment, and the ground floor had a garage, washroom, and a single bedroom/bathroom. Ross’ dad would have men’s poker games up in the apartment. This is where Ross would stay when he would bring his friends home from college. The grandchildren would live there at various times during their college years, and our cousin, Joe Shearin, lived there during his Baylor Law School years.

When Ross was in Waco High, he was driving his parent’s car on a triple date, and a drunk driver hit them head-on. One of the girls in the car broke her leg, and one of the guys broke his arm; Ross only had two minor injuries on his face. Again, God intervened and saved Ross’ life.

Ross attended Waco Public Schools except for one semester when he was 15. He did not enjoy his time at Texas Military Institute in San Antonio but admitted it helped him later when he was in the Navy. Ross came home from military school vowing to his parents that he would obey them if they let him stay home and graduate from Waco High with his friends in the class of 1944.

When Ross was a small child, he asked his mother for a nickel. She asked, “Why do you want a nickel? Is there something you want to buy?” Ross said, “No, I just want some money in my pocket.” Ross was frugal and knew the value of saving even from an early age.

During high school, Ross spent summers working at Trautschold Mill Works and Baby Percy, but his most profitable job came after his senior year. Ross went to work with a traveling magazine sales crew. He sold in Waco, Tyler, and Dallas. Ross discovered he was a natural-born salesman, as he was the top salesman in Texas that summer. Ross was extremely hard-working and very ambitious.

After graduating from Waco High, Ross’ dad offered to pay his tuition at Baylor. Ross declined, saying he would be paying for the University of Texas himself, where most of his friends were attending.

As an industrious freshman at college, Ross showed his entrepreneurial spirit by renting out folding chairs. However, he shortly gave up that business when he realized he had to borrow a car to transfer the chairs between customers. After a few rental jobs, he sold the chairs for a profit.

With 21 hours toward his degree and nearly 18 years old, Ross enlisted in the Navy. The Germans had surrendered, and the war in Europe was over, but the USA was still fighting the Japanese.

Ross’ first job in the Navy was as a bow hook (the guy who ties up a small boat close to shore). Once, when he tied the metal cable to the dock, he did something he never did and stepped inside the wheelhouse. Just as he did, that cable snapped and would have cut him in half had Ross not stepped inside. Again, great is God’s faithfulness! God had His hand on Ross’ life since he was a child, and I attribute his mother’s prayers to the many times God showed His salvation and deliverance to Ross.

While stationed in California, Ross made extra money by again selling magazines door to door. He did this by creatively scheduling his hours to cover his military and side sales duties. He was the top salesman in California despite only working daily for six hours selling magazines to everyone else’s 8-hour shift.

Ross had a profound sense of humor. When he signed up for the Navy, Ross said, “The Germans surrendered because they knew I was coming!” After Boot leave, he said, “Then the Japanese quit because they heard I was coming!”

When World War II ended, Ross was just starting his military service. Because of his typing and organizational skills, he was assigned a new job: devise a plan to discharge the returning soldiers. He was one of three people chosen to plan the separation center. Ross was honorably discharged from the Navy in August 1946.

Ross was a patriot, part of “the greatest generation,” and proud of his time serving our country. He was always respectful of our flag, pledge, and national anthem. After all, he signed up and was willing to die for our country. He was furious when President Obama said, “We are no longer a Christian nation!” Ross was proud of our Judeo-Christian Democratic Republic and faithfully voted.

After serving in the military, the G.I. bill paid for his last three years at Texas University, where Ross returned to finish his business degree. He referred to his time in college as “the best four years of his life!” He enjoyed that there was almost always a pinochle game going on in his boarding house.

Ross was a B student who attended class, paid attention, and took good notes. The only I.Q. test he ever took was in the Navy, where he scored the third highest out of 256 men in his company. However, grades were not as important to him as finishing what he started.

Ross first took flying lessons at Texas University and became a pilot. He loved the freedom of flying, going whenever and wherever he wanted. Some of our family trips included flying to California (Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farms), Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Expo ’67 in Montreal, Canada, New York City, Mexico City, and Hemisphere ’68 in San Antonio. Once, I asked Daddy what he would like to do if he could live his life over again. He said he would like to be a commercial airline pilot.

Ross became an instrument-rated pilot, passing the test with 95%. When he showed up to retake the class, his instructor said, “Ross, you passed the test. Why are you retaking the course?” Ross answered, “I don’t want to live just 95% of the time!”

After earning his business degree from Texas, Ross worked in the family business, L.L. Sams and Sons Church Furniture, which his grandfather, a Baptist preacher, founded in 1898 as a side job to be able to send his four children to Baylor. There were only six employees when Ross started working at the company in 1949.

Ross got his sales training from his uncle, Rowe Sams, who was brilliant, and the best salesman Ross had ever known. No matter how late Rowe stayed up at night, he was dressed the following day by six a.m. and ready to work. Ross said he got his work ethic watching Rowe, but I think it was always Ross’ nature.

Someone once said of Ross, “He works hard, and he plays hard!”

At L.L. Sams, Ross became the top salesman almost every month. He believed that if you were family, you were not “entitled” to anything, but you had to be an example to other employees and work twice as hard to earn a promotion.

After working at L.L. Sams and Sons for a year, he proposed to Frances Carole Moore, the University of Texas student he had been dating. Ross and Frances married in June 1950.

The newlyweds went on the road, traveling together for about a year while Ross sold church furniture. Frances became pregnant with their daughter, Jamie Sue Sams, born October 11, 1951. Frances then became a stay-at-home mom. Daughter number two, Donna, joined the family on March 9, 1953.

Ross had taken a course in stocks and bonds in high school. After working at L.L. Sams and receiving regular paychecks, he would visit the Waco Public Library and research the best places to invest. Ross was a lifelong learner.

Ross continued to be a top salesman, investing every bonus into stocks or bonds. He was a saver. Ross used the travel-size soaps he picked up from the cheap hotels he chose to stay in while on the road selling. He saved his extra per diem by eating hamburgers while on the road. His children grew up knowing you did not leave a room without turning the lights out! He recorded every penny he spent in his little black book, which Ross carried in his wallet everywhere he went.

Ross worked 5 1/2 days a week. When asked why he needed to go to work, he said, “So I can take care of the kids!” He was a very responsible man, providing for his family in every way. When his family was young, he spent half a day at the office Monday morning and was back on the road that afternoon selling until Friday evening. He also worked half a day on Saturday “to get ahead.” Frances would fix hamburgers for lunch on Saturday, and we would celebrate Daddy’s return home over the weekend! Ross spent his strength and energy on those dear to him. We felt safe, secure, and loved.

On Valentine’s Day, Ross would come home with three boxes of candy: a big one for his wife, Frances, and two small ones for his daughters. On Christmas Eve, Ross would take one of the girls to the store to buy a gift for their Mama and a gift for their sister. Then, he would drop us off at Granny’s, where she would help us wrap the two gifts. He would then get the other daughter and repeat the process. He tried to teach us by example to be giving and thoughtful of others.

Ross always had “a plan” and a “to-do list” for the day, week, year, and for his life. He had family, finance, business, entertainment, and trip goals! One of Ross’ favorite sayings was: “WHAT’S THE PLAN?”. He would say, “Without a plan, you won’t know when you have arrived!”

Ross’ financial plan was to work hard and live below his means so that he could invest his money and watch it grow. Then, eventually, he would have his money work for him so that he could retire, live off the interest, and take trips!

Ross was a wise investor, but he told me the best investment he ever made was in Clifford Eke. Cliff is the son of a Nigerian pastor. Cliff’s father had been scholar-shipped through school by Ross and Olna Sams. When Cliff became college-age, Ross and Olna scholar-shipped him through Baylor. Cliff was a brilliant and diligent student and had been accepted to medical school but had no funds to pay for it. With their parents deceased, Ross Jr. and his sister, Mary, sponsored Cliff’s scholarship through medical school. Cliff is now an outstanding surgeon, and he is using his medical skills in California. In addition, he takes teams of medical professionals on several mission trips yearly to Nigeria and other nations around the world to help sick people. Ross was always enormously proud of Cliff.

Ross was a list maker. He was always available to help his kids if they needed advice. He would say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” Later, he would show up with his commonsense wisdom and his list.

Frances (Mama) once caught me (Donna) and my best friend playing pool in our den and smoking grapevine, which we had found growing in the ravine where we often explored. (It was so nasty! It burnt your nose, mouth, and throat, but we wanted to be “cool” like in the movies.)

A couple of nights later, Daddy (Ross) invited me to the living room to visit with him while Mama finished cooking dinner.

He pulled out his legal pad with his list and said, “Your mom told me you were smoking grapevine while playing pool the other day. I have a few questions to ask you:”

1. “Do you know that half the world smokes, and the other half hates those who do? The reason is because you get smoke in your eyes, on your clothes, you have to breathe it, and you stink!”

2. “Do you know how much a pack of cigarettes costs?” (I knew the answer because I had often bought cigarettes at 7-Eleven for Mama.) I replied, “Yes, Sir! They are 35 cents a pack.”

Daddy replied, “If you smoke one pack a day for 365 days a year, you will have spent $127.75 on cigarettes”. I was wowed! (This was a lot of money in 1965, especially for a 12-year-old! In today’s money, that would be about $1275.)

Daddy said, “Do you think you could find something else you would like to spend that money on?” He told me I could do whatever I wanted; it was my choice, but he just wanted to bring these things to my attention.

He ended our conversation by asking, “Have you ever kissed an ashtray?”

After that talk, I never smoked grapevine, cigarettes, or anything else. My dad was a wise man!

Ross Sams Jr. was a gentleman, courteous, generous, and a bit of an introvert. He was a private man with a quiet strength. He was a little shy but lots of fun and funny. He liked quiet; noise bothered him unless it was the roar of a crowd at a football or basketball game! He loved a challenge and, most of all, winning!

Ross used to say, “I’ll play any man, from any land, any game, he can name, for any amount he can count!’

Ross’ philosophy of gambling was to view it as entertainment. It was like budgeting a certain amount for a movie, dinner, a show, or a vacation. You would use that amount to gamble, and when it was gone, it was gone, and you quit. You had already decided you could afford to lose that amount because it was in your “entertainment budget.” However, Ross won more times than he lost.

In 1958, Ross was promoted to the national Distribution Sales Manager for L.L. Sams and Sons and was working with the sales rep in Miami, Florida. Since he had the weekend off, Ross took a $19 round-trip flight to Cuba (my, how times have changed!) and spent the whole night gambling at the crap table. He was losing, but Ross continued playing ALL NIGHT until he broke even as the sun rose. He immediately quit and flew back to Miami to go back to work.

When the family was young, Ross took us on vacations to the beach in Galveston, where he taught his daughters to dribble sand through our fingers to make beautiful sandcastles. Later, Ross became a Church Furniture Manufacturer’s Association member and drove our family of 4 across the southern United States to Miami, where we flew to his business meeting in the Bahamas. The following year, Ross was President of that organization, and he took our family to Scottsdale, Arizona, for the annual meeting.

Ross and Frances then began taking their two-week vacation in Las Vegas with another couple. They would see shows that Ross enjoyed his whole life. He attended many productions in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Granbury, Austin, and New York City and also loved the entertainment on large cruise ships. He enjoyed the shows and the games when in Las Vegas, as he was incredibly competitive!

Ross bet his friends on football games, horseshoes, washers, or card games. He had pitched quarters “at the line” with his friends for hours while waiting for a late plane. When he went to “Thursday lunch” with Walter Dossett and Fred Bostwick, they played poker with the serial numbers on the back of dollar bills to see who paid for the lunch.

When growing up, one of his daughters would ask their Daddy, “What time is it?” He would make a game out of it, saying, “What time do you think it is?” Then he would guess the time and have everyone else in the car guess before he would look at his watch to see who “won” by guessing closest to the actual time.

Ross taught his girls to read a map (a lost art with GPS) and balance a checkbook. Any friend of his daughters was welcomed in our home. Once, my friend and neighbor, Jan Witt, visited, and Ross sketched a pencil drawing of her. It really looked like her! Until then, I did not know my dad was artistic.

Ross would often show our friends “our family values” by inviting them to play Liverpool Rummy or Double Sol with us. We were serious competitors, and there was no socializing—it was all about winning the game! We scared some of them, others loved it!

On family road trips, we’d play OSCAR (looking for Out-of-State CARs) or the alphabet game (looking for signs with words starting with each letter). We would sing songs like “You Are My Sunshine” and “Side by Side.”

Every Sunday, our family would attend church with our grandparents and then eat lunch at Ridgewood with our extended family. Olna (Granny) kept our extended family of 10 close!

On Sunday afternoons, Ross would take our immediate family of four either bowling, riding go-carts, swimming, or on the lake to water ski. He always planned some fun family activity! It was usually with Pat and Joe Goss, David, and Grant. Then we would all eat dinner at Nick’s restaurant in the bowling alley, go out for Mexican food, or the moms would have a picnic supper for us to eat on the boat.

Growing up, Daddy told me he would love to be at my wedding, but if I got married during football season, he would not be able to make it! A devoted Longhorn, Ross went to every University of Texas home football game in Austin from the 1940s until 2010, when he gave up his season tickets. Ross and his wife went to most of these games with his lifelong best friend, Walter Dossett, and his wife, Mary Martha. When Ross was “between wives,” he would take one of his daughters to the Texas games.

As his daughter, one of my most fun memories with Daddy was going to California for the 2005 Longhorn game against USC. Texas won 41 to 38 and became the National Champs! Ross was a loyal fan. Whenever you warned Ross that you would take his photo, he would hold up his hands with the Hook ’em Horns sign!

Each Friday night starting in 1950, Ross planned a poker game with his friends. These were the regulars: Ross and wife, Frances; Walter Dossett and wife, Mary Martha; Joe Goss; and Graham Cole. Others would visit the game, including Morse Harrison, George Wolfe, Leonard Mixson, Raymond and Betty Goddard, Mary Martha’s mother, Polly, and others. These games ended in 1968 when Ross’ wife, Frances, died in a plane accident. They were married 18 years.

Because Ross had been promoted to sales manager, he was off the road and home with his two teenage daughters every night. Ross was an involved parent; he would take a carload of our friends to one of our out-of-town high school football games or let us take a friend on our family vacation. Ross was humble, kind, and protective.

When I (Donna) was in high school, Daddy made some special dating rules for me:

-I must double-date

-He had to meet the boy I was going out with

-He must know where we were going

-I had to be home by 11 PM

In 1969, a year and a half after Frances died, Ross married Olive Sarah Weetman Peoples, a California lady that his father, Ross Sr., had introduced to him. Olive was divorced, had no children, and was a successful businesswoman. We nicknamed her “Sweet Olive” and later shortened it to SWEETO!

Ross and Sweeto met on a cruise ship. After long-distance dating for a year, Ross “kidnapped” her and took her to Las Vegas, where they eloped. He brought her to Waco, where they shared 38 years of married bliss!

Sweeto was a working gal and had “broken a glass ceiling” by working herself up to the highest position a woman had ever held at Pacific Bell Telephone. She had almost enough years invested to retire. She had her own money, but when Ross proposed, he promised HE would take care of HER for the rest of her life! He kept her money separate from his, invested it wisely, and it grew.

Ross and Sweeto had a great relationship. Sweeto chose to fit into Ross’ lifestyle: learning to play cards and watch football and basketball games. Together, they traveled on many road trips and multiple cruises (Ross’ preferred way to vacation.) They took many of their trips with friends. Some of their favorite cruises were with Ross’ parents.

When Ross Sr. lost his vision, Ross Jr. took over his father’s business affairs. After his dad died, he went to visit his mother every day after work. These visits were the highlight of her day. He was a faithful son, honoring his parents, which comes with a Biblical promise of a long life.

Ross Jr. and Sweeto played untold hours of backgammon together and played pitch regularly with their friends. At 51, Ross and Sweeto took up tennis together. Ross won the “Try’s Hardest Award” from his friends, who were much more skilled and had played most of their lives. Whatever Ross did, he did it with his 100% whole heart.

During his marriage to Sweeto, they both learned to play duplicate bridge. Ross even taught others how to play by holding classes for friends in his home. Later, when Sweeto got Alzheimer’s, playing duplicate bridge helped Ross maintain his sanity.

Ross and Sweeto hosted many parties. Their biggest party was bi-annually when Texas University would come to Waco to play Baylor in football. They also entertained with dinners, bridge parties, garden parties, weddings for his two daughters, etc.

Ross served on many civic boards, giving much back to the community he loved. He was president of the downtown Waco YWCA, the Waco Rotary Club (where he was honored as a Paul Harris fellow in the Rotary district Hall of Fame), and the Hedonia Club. He was chair of the Budget Committee for the Waco McLennan County United Way and later served as General Campaign Chairman. Ross was also a Chamber of Commerce officer, served on the Waco Business League, was section chairman for Goals 2000, plus served on several church committees. He served on the boards of Texas Manufacturers Association, Goodwill, Waco Housing Authority, Royal Seating, Crippled Children’s, First National Bank of Central Texas, American Bank, and KWTX.

Ross worked at L.L. Sams and Sons Church Furniture for 46 years. He was a salesman, national distribution sales manager, sales manager, president, and then chairman of the board. L.L. Sams grew to be the largest church furniture company in the nation, with nearly 300 employees. At Ross’ retirement in 1995, he sold the company to Royal Seating (owned by his lifelong friend, Walter Dossett, Jr.), who moved the business to Cameron and renamed it L.L. Sams Incorporated.

When Ross retired, the L.L. Sams buildings on LaSalle were sold and have been repurposed. The factory buildings are now loft apartments occupied mainly by Baylor students. Baylor now uses the office buildings as their campus radio station and maintenance facility.

Ross was continually active in retirement. Ross and Sweeto took writing classes together. Ross also began writing books. At this time, his daughter, Jamie, introduced him to the computer, which saved him a lot of time typing. Jamie also established the Ross Sams Jr. scholarship fund at the University of Texas in her dad’s honor, knowing how much he enjoyed writing. Ross was a lifelong learner and liked all the new things he could do on his computer. Ross became a member of the Texas Writers Association and Austin Writer’s League.

Sweeto had been Ross’ devoted caretaker, especially through his melanoma surgery and his open-heart surgery. She learned to cook a new way at Pritikin to keep her husband healthy. She was a devoted wife. Sweeto (“Oma”) was the only grandmother Ross’ grandchildren would ever know, and she loved them!

Ross and Sweeto’s travels and social life ended in 2000 when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was then Ross became her caretaker.

When Ross realized her decline, he asked Sweeto if she would like to divide her money (that he had invested) between her three living siblings. Sweeto agreed. At that time, her older sister was in a nursing home, and when Sweeto’s gift ran out, Ross continued to finance her sister’s care until she passed away. Ross was a kind man with uncompromising integrity and a generous heart.

Finally, Ross decided to put his wife in Wesley Woods Alzheimer’s facility when he had to have double knee replacements. Ross ensured Sweeto had private sitters because she was afraid of being alone. Sue Wells was one of them and has remained our family friend for over twenty years.

After recovering from double knee replacements, Ross visited Sweeto every day. Ross was self-disciplined, punctual, and lived on a schedule. Like clockwork, he would drink his coffee daily while reading three papers (Waco Trib, Dallas Morning News, and the Wall Street Journal), get ready for the day, eat breakfast, and go to Wesley Woods to visit his wife.

Ross would spend afternoons playing duplicate bridge at Sul Ross Senior Center. When there was no game there, he would drive a carload of other bridge players to Temple so they could compete there. In the evenings, Ross would play Liverpool Rummy with his sister Mary, daughter Donna, and other friends who loved playing cards. One Friday night, we played until the sun came up, and then we started again on Saturday around noon.

Ross would come home from visiting Sweeto at the nursing home with some funny stories. One such story was the time a random female patient saw Ross sitting there visiting with his wife. The patient came up to him and said, “Are you the pimp running this whorehouse? “

After a beautiful 38 years of marriage, Sweeto died in 2007.

When Ross’ best friend, Walter Dossett, became critically ill, Ross would sometimes drive this friend, whom he loved, to his therapy. Walter died about 20 years before Ross. However, Ross never quit talking about and missing his good friend, Walter.

In Ross’ last years he enjoyed listening to music while sitting in his comfortable chair in the corner of the den. He would watch folks come and go through the back door. As one would come in, Ross would look, give an approving smile, and point his finger toward you as if to say, “I see you.”

Three days before Ross passed away, he was lying in bed and looking up at the ceiling as if he was seeing something we could not see. Ross said, “Walter?” Ross paused, looked up again, smiled, and pointed his finger as if to say, “I see you.” Then Ross said, “You’ve got sheets on, don’t you?” Ross smiled again, looked up, and said, “Are you gonna help me get out of here?”

Shortly after this, Ross went into a coma and peacefully entered the presence of the Lord with his loved ones by his side.

Thank you, Daddy, for 71 years of faithfulness to me, your daughter, Donna. You were the best father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my walk with God. Thank you for encouraging me, believing in me, and giving me the freedom to be who the Lord made me to be. I will always be grateful for you and to you for every opportunity you gave me, but most of all for your example of a life well lived.

Ross was preceded in death by his parents, Ross Martin Sams, Sr., and Olna McDonald Sams; his sister, Mary Sams Howell and her husband, Earl Frank Howell; his first wife and mother of his children, Frances Carole Moore Sams; their daughter, Jamie Sue Sams; Ross’ second wife, Olive (“Sweeto”) Sarah Weetman Sams; his nephew, Greg Martin Howell (infant); and Ross’ great nephew, Chancelor (Chance) Ross King.

Survivors (all from Waco unless otherwise indicated) include Ross’ third wife, Sondra Sams (married 2010); his daughter, Donna Sams; his two grandchildren, Nathan O’Neal, and Sarah Peters, and her husband Matt (Indiana); and his great-granddaughter, Abigail Sanner (Indiana); and Abby’s father, David Sanner (Indiana); Ross’ nephew, Hobby Howell and his wife Krista; Hobby’s sons, Hob Howell and his wife, Danyell and Clark Howell; Ross’ niece, Gala Howell King; and Ross’ faithful friend of 41 years, Fidel Salazar and his wife, Rosy.

Memorials may be made to The Olna McDonald Sams Endowed Scholarship Fund, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97026, Waco, Texas 76798-7026. For online gifts, search for the The Olna McDonald Sams Endowed Scholarship Fund at www.baylor.edu/give .

You may also donate to the charity of your choice.

We invite you to leave a message or memory of Ross on this “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.