(1863-1942) 

By His Granddaughter Adele Thomas Harker 

Samuel Watkins Davis, was born December 25, 1863, at Hyde Park, Luzen Co., Pennsylvania. His father, Thomas John Davis, was a native of  Neath, South Wales. His mother, Elizabeth Williams, was a native of Ystradgynlais, Breconshire, Wales. His parents migrated to America and lived in Pennsylvania for some time. Later, they came as pioneers to the Malad Valley and settled in the community of Samaria, Idaho. Their home in Samaria is the old Maude Williams home. Part of it is still standing. His parents took up a homestead on farmland in Pleasantview, not far from Samaria. Their old homestead is the farm that Walt Davis owns today. Those of the family with whom I have talked didn’t know whether his parents came to America as converts to the church or if they joined later. 

Grandfather had seven brothers and sisters, including himself. They are as follows: Johnny, Samuel (grandfather), Marintha Ann, Thomas S., Mary Ann, Edwin and Ephrum. He was the second child in this family. His brother, Thomas S., was the first baby boy born in Samaria. Tom’s middle name is Samaria. This is because of the fact that he was the first baby boy born in Samaria. 

Little is known about grandfather’s schooling, but he did have some. Grandfather’s father died while he was just a young man, so he and his brother, Tom, stayed and helped run his parent’s farm. His brother, Johnny, got an education and taught school. His brother, Edwin, graduated from West Point. His younger brother, Ephrum, graduated from Harvard and was also a good singer. Ephrum competed in singing contests in the Malad and Salt Lake Valleys. He won first place in all local contests and went back east to compete. The song he sang was “The Song of the Light House Bell.” 

Grandfather married Mary Ann Martin on February 19, 1889. His parents and his wife’s parents lived in the same block in Samaria. His wife’s mother passed away leaving a small baby, so his wife stayed on in her father’s home until she was expecting her first child. Then he took his wife to Pleasantview so that he could help his parents and take care of 160 acres of his own land that he had filed on. His farm was just below his father’s. His first child, Anna, was born in his parent’s home. Later, grandfather built two sawed log rooms on his own 160 acres. Later he built a lumber summer kitchen and a cellar at the side. He fenced his land, built barns and corrals. All the rest of his children were born in this home except for the two youngest, Sarah and Mary. 

He continued to farm, but one day he was oiling the threshing machine while it was still running. It pulled the bandage on his finger into the machine and also his hand before they could stop the machine. It resulted in having to amputate his hand just below the wrist joint. His wife used to tell how he got so he could use that wrist and do just as much as a man with two hands. One day a man by the name of Billy Price talked him into selling his farm and put his money into the sheep business with him. He convinced grandfather he could do better in the sheep business than to farm. He moved his family to Samaria on some land he bought, built a home, fixed barns and corrals and had a place for a garden. He had to leave his family and didn’t get home except a few times a year. To grandfather’s sorrow he lost out in the sheep business and returned to Samaria and worked for other people. He always regretted selling his farm. He was a good man, but times were hard for all the pioneers, but they worked hard and had a good life. After he returned from the sheep, he kept busy working and helping his family the best he could. 

While grandfather was with the sheep, his family adjusted their lives and made a life of their own. He missed out on a lot of the everyday happenings in his family and I’m sure he knew that and missed them greatly. His wife and children missed him too. Most of the family life has been told in the history of his wife, Mary Ann Martin Davis, which precedes this history. 

After his wife passed away, he lived with his daughter, Eliza, and some with his daughter, Anna. In later years he had a bad fall which gave him trouble up until his death on December 14, 1942. He died in the Malad Hospital and is buried in the Samaria Cemetery.     

Grandfather and his wife were sealed to each other by some of his children and grandchildren in the Salt Lake Temple. His children Alvin, Sarah, Anna, and Thomas were sealed to them at this same time. 

To Grandfather, as to his wife, I am sincerely grateful for his life so that I might have the heritage I have, to have been born of goodly ancestors and to have been born in this free and promised land. I’m sure that others of his ancestors share this same feeling.