Samuel Leroy Melugin

Samuel Leroy Melugin was born March 9, 1929 in Orlando, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of five children of John T. and Fannie Ionia Melugin Dover. His father passed away prior to Leroy's first birthday requiring his mother to obtain assistance from other family members to raise her children. Leroy was raised and attended school in Perry, Oklahoma. Although, he did not graduate from high school, he later obtained his GED.

After completion of his schooling, Leroy enlisted into the service of his country in the United States Army. He served as a corporal during the Korean Conflict. Upon his honorable discharge from military service, Leroy returned to Oklahoma and initially established his residency in Northeastern Oklahoma, near Jay. He then moved to California where he started his career in gold prospecting.

Leroy later became known to his friends as Sam as he continued in his prospecting business. He had staked claims in Colorado, Arizona and California. He traveled between his claims in a camper which he stayed in while prospecting. He normally would spend the winter months in Arizona and California and then the summer months in Silverton, Colorado. When in Silverton, Sam often worked doing odd jobs in a hotel. His hobbies included, rock climbing and exploration of caves.

After suffering a stroke while residing in Silverton, Sam relocated to Yelm, Washington where he resided with his nephew, Mark. After undergoing rehabilitation, Sam moved to Mannford, Oklahoma in 1997 where he became active in the First Assembly of God Church and the Mannford Senior Citizen's Center. He was known by many in the Mannford area as the man who rode the three wheeled tricycle.

Sam passed away on Wednesday, February 6, 2002 at the Tulsa Regional Medical Center at the age of seventy-two years, ten months and twenty-seven days. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Sarah Ellen Glover and Eva Loree Law; and a nephew, Leon Moore.

Sam is survived by two sisters, Edna Moore, Gentry, Arkansas and Lillian Mae Zemp, Perry, Oklahoma; five nieces, Lois Hubbard, Springfield, Missouri, Elaine Wood, Springdale, Arkansas, Cynthia Hembree, Perry, Oklahoma, Linda Shands, Irving, Texas, and Iona Rutherford, Perry, Oklahoma; five nephews, Philip Glover, Tacoma, Washington, Thomas Parks, Tacoma, Washington, Mark Parks, Yelm, Washington, Paul Zemp, Jr., Perry, Oklahoma and Louis Law, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Kevin Wooton, the boy he helped raise in Colcord, Oklahoma.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, February 9, 2002 at the First Assembly of God Church in Mannford with Pastor Don Yandell officiating. Burial will be at the Grace Hill Cemetery under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home.

''Visit an online obituary and guestbook for Sam Melugin at www.chapman-black.com.''