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Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr.

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Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr.

Birth	:	26 Oct 1865 Wisconsin, USA
Death	:	29 Jul 1968 Fortuna, Humboldt County, California, USA
Burial	:	Ferndale Cemetery, Ferndale, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate	:	40.5748558, -124.2637100
Description	:	Mr. Sam was known as a colorful character who lived to a ripe old age, though as it turns out, not as "ripe" an age as most people thought. The story of why his real age was a secret for so long is as follows: Though he was believed to be 111 years old when he died, according to a direct descendant of his, Mr. Sam was actually born in 1865 instead of 1856, making him a little younger than most people thought but still over 100 years old when he died. His descendant said that when Mr. Sam got married, he gave... Read More	Mr. Sam was known as a colorful character who lived to a ripe old age, though as it turns out, not as "ripe" an age as most people thought. The story of why his real age was a secret for so long is as follows: Though he was believed to be 111 years old when he died, according to a direct descendant of his, Mr. Sam was actually born in 1865 instead of 1856, making him a little younger than most people thought but still over 100 years old when he died. His descendant said that when Mr. Sam got married, he gave his age as the same as his bride's so she wouldn't be looked down on for marrying a younger man (something that was considered too shocking back then). His descendant also said it's possible that Mr. Sam may have regretted his decision a little in his later years, but it was too late to change it so he carried on with his life as it was. Only his family knew his real age, and they kept it to themselves for their parents' sakes. No one could have predicted that Mr. Sam would live as long as he did or that he'd become such a local legend. Perhaps because he did, as time went by the stories he told about his life became more and more colorful until, according to newspaper articles from 1968 and 2006, they included tales of being orphaned and out on his own at 11 years old (he wasn't) and having memories of the Civil War (which ended before he was born), as well as stories of working on a cattle drive and wandering the west before settling down (both possibly true). Maybe he was just trying to live up to the expectations of those who saw him as larger than life and who were thrilled to hear everything he could tell them about himself, either real or imagined. Who would want to disappoint them? No matter what the reasons for his colorful tales, they hurt no one and gave a great deal of joy to those who were lucky enough to hear him tell them in person, or to read about them in the newspaper. Mr. Sam was actually the son of Laura Maria Cook and Henry Olin Kelsey (both of whom were alive and well when he left home) and he was named after one of his paternal uncles. He was born in Wisconsin and also lived in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York as a boy. He had five brothers and sisters: Walter, Reno, Arthur, Julia (aka Nellie), and Cleo. Their father was a carpenter, which may have been why the family traveled around so much throughout the years. Mr. Sam ended up living on the remote Northern California coast after a heated altercation with his father estranged them for the rest of their lives. Because of the estrangement, he rarely if ever told anyone where he came from or who his parents were, which probably also helped keep his real age a secret in later years. Whether accidentally or on purpose, Mr. Sam ended up about as far away from his father as he could possibly get and still be in the United States. Ironically, one of Mr. Sam's sons ended up doing the opposite, moving from the West to the East Coast near where Mr. Sam left home so long ago. Mr. Sam was a rancher, farmer, operator of a horse-drawn freight company, painter, fireman, engineer, machinist, and mechanic during his long working life. He loved traveling and meeting new people and did so well into his later years, building his own camper after his second retirement and driving it thousands of miles across our country and back home again. Near the end of his life he was still able to pass his drivers license test, and was known for driving his little three wheeled electric car around the streets of Ferndale. It's said he really wanted to drive a two wheeled scooter, but that he deferred to his family's wishes and drove the three wheeler instead to keep them happy. His obituary was erroneously published with the middle name "Tecumseh" instead of Truman, though his headstone shows the correct name. A newspaper article also accidentally gave his middle initial as "K" instead of T. When you live as long as he did, things like that can happen when there aren't very many other people around who are old enough to remember your details and correct them if needed. Longevity must run in the family because one of Mr. Sam's daughters actually outlived him, passing away at the age of 103, and another daughter and a son lived to be 97 and 96 years old, respectively. Rest in peace, Mr. Sam. You really were a colorful character and it's still entertaining to read about you after all these years.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr.'s memorial?
Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr.'s memorial is located at: Ferndale Cemetery, Ferndale, Humboldt County, USA.
When did Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr. death?
Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr. death on 29 Jul 1968 in Fortuna, Humboldt County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Samuel Truman “Mr. Sam” Kelsey Sr.'s memorial?
Latitude: 40.5748558
Longitude: -124.2637100

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Matie A. Hendee Kelsey

(1856 - 1926)

Siblings

Children

Samuel Truman Kelsey Jr.

(1888 - 1951)

Arthur Clark Kelsey

(1890 - 1987)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Ferndale Cemetery
Ferndale, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5748558, -124.2637100

2. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Ferndale, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5708008, -124.2530975

3. Table Bluff Cemetery
Loleta, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6493900, -124.2094300

4. Saint Patrick's Catholic Cemetery
Loleta, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6607600, -124.2146700

5. Rohnerville Pioneer Cemetery
Rohnerville, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5732470, -124.1335280

6. Sunrise Cemetery
Fortuna, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5976831, -124.1320603

7. Catholic Cemetery
Fortuna, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5669310, -124.1265560

8. Masons and IOOF Cemetery
Rohnerville, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5563180, -124.1224520

9. Hydesville IOOF Cemetery
Hydesville, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5442850, -124.1040710

10. Hydesville Cemetery
Hydesville, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.5433330, -124.1022330

11. Atwell Family Cemetery
Rio Dell, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.4787700, -124.1391900

12. Sunset Memorial Park
Eureka, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7658600, -124.1891300

13. Saint Bernard's Cemetery
Eureka, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7717934, -124.1895065

14. Ocean View Cemetery
Eureka, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7719002, -124.1883011

15. Petrolia Table Cemetery
Petrolia, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3372300, -124.3094230

16. Myrtle Grove Memorial Cemetery
Eureka, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7990800, -124.1497900

17. Spear Family Cemetery
Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.7705700, -124.0698100

18. Fishermens Memorial
Eureka, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.8083400, -124.1664560

19. Petrolia Pioneer Cemetery
Petrolia, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3204100, -124.2882070

20. Iaqua Cemetery
Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.6497250, -123.9237920

21. Bull Creek Cemetery
Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3319016, -124.0317001

22. Roscoe Cemetery
Honeydew, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.2605900, -124.1792600

23. Saint Alban's Memorial Garden
Arcata, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.8579200, -124.0622800

24. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Arcata, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 40.8767014, -124.0860977