researched by Wilma (Wamsley) Jager
Asotin County Sentinel June 16, 1939

Sam Wamsley Died Wednesday Morning
Humorous Asotin Pioneer Succumbs to Heart Attack

Sam Wamsley, seventy-five years old, the first of May, died at his home in Asotin, shortly after midnight, Tuesday night, of a heart attack which came upon him about two months ago. While he had been in poor health during the last year or two, his physical troubles seemed to have had no effect whatever upon his inordinate love of fun. Whenever Sam Wamsley moved bout, be it ever so slowly, his voice rang out in some good-natured pun, some witty remark based upon his homely philosophy of life; and his good-humored teasing will be missed by his friends and cronies, along Asotin's main street.

Sam Christopher Wamsley at the age of fourteen, came to this country in 1878, and settled with his father and family at Cloverland. Shortly after, the family moved to Ten Mile, where they raised an orchard. There, Sam went to school, worked, and grew up, marrying Nancy Bolick, a niece of Eli Bolick.

Later on the Wamsley's took up land on the Nez Perce Reservation, near Craigmont, Idaho, and there children were born and raised.

Back to Asotin – Some years after that, Mr. Wamsley managed an apple orchard at Dayton Orchard, but finally came back to Asotin where he has lived ever since. The last years of his life were spent peacefully raising his garden, grafting trees and plants and delighting in these amateurish experiments, a la Burbank. And along with his plants, Sam Wamsley got his full measure of the joy of living out of fishing, his favorite pastime, and joking with his friends, in the magic circle of which everyone who had time to stop and shout hello across the fence, was included.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Nancy Wamsley, his son Ellis Wamsley, and daughter, Meda Crawford, who live at Craigmont, a son, Gwin who is in Detroit, and Florence Davis, a second daughter. There are ten grandchildren. Four sisters, Angie Wamsley, Mrs. Adeline Taylor of Asotin, Mrs. Clara Lougee of Spokane, Mrs. Lily Marshall, Arizona; and one brother, Arch Wamsley of Lapwai.

Funeral services will be held Friday morning at 10 o'clock at the Merchant's Chapel in Asotin, the Rev. Wayne Robison officiating. Interment will be in the Craigmont Cemetery, Craigmont, Idaho, where a burial service will also be held.

Lewiston Morning Tribune June 15, 1939
Pioneer of Asotin is Taken by Death

Asotin, June 14 – Samuel C. Wamsley, 75, pioneer resident of Asotin and prominent farmer of the Craigmont district two decades ago, died this morning at 1:30 at his home after a lingering illness.

Mr. Wamsley was born in Iowa on May 1, 1864, and came west during the Indian wars, settling at Asotin. Following his marriage in 1893 at Asotin, Mr. and Mrs. Wamsley took up a homestead one mile west of Craigmont in 1895, the year in which the Nez Perce Indian reservation was opened. He sold his property at Craigmont in 1919 and he and his family returned to Asotin. Mr. Wamsley was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge.

He is survived by his wife, Asotin; two sons, Ellis R. Wamsley, Craigmont, and William G. Wamsley, Detroit, Mich.; two daughters, Mrs. Meda Crawford, Craigmont, and Mrs. Florence Davis, Asotin; one brother, Arch Wamsley, Lenore; four sisters, Mrs. Adeline Taylor, Asotin; Miss Angie Wamsley, Asotin; Mrs. Clara Lougee, Spokane, and Mrs. Lillian Marshall, Phoenix, Ariz, and 10 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted Friday morning at 10 at the Asotin chapel with the Rev. J. D. Lewellen and the Rev. Wayne Robeson officiating. Committal services will be held in the afternoon at 1 at Craigmont with the Rev. Lewis Harro reading the service. Interment will be at the Craigmont cemetery.