An
OKGenWeb Project
An
OKGenWeb Project
Contributed by: Nancy A. Stine
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Sam Nance 7-12-1904 - 7-13-1980
This is "Sam" Nance with his new car, the first in the area,
about 1924. Born in Cleveland County, Ok., he was a cousin of former Rep. Jim Nance and
owner of the Purcell Register Newspaper, Purcell.
Their families originated at Bellbuckle, Tenn. He married Dessie May Mock in 1929. His
parents were Thomas Henry Nance and Mollie Wilhoit Nance. They had one daughter, Nancy Ann
Nance Stine. Sam had a degree in Education from O. U., but he left to help build atomic
plants in the east. He worked at heights few men would dare to. In his seventies he had
retired among houses in Purcell which he had built and was renting.
One night he was accosted in his home by two young men. Pretending to be mentally
challenged and senile, he groped with his right hand and pulled out a gun from behind a
large seashell. He pointed it at the man in front of him and said, "Don't you move,
or I'll blow your head off!" The fellow with the knife on his left fled out the back
door and Sam dialed the police while the other man sat at the table.
Sam was courageous, accentric and funny. One of his favorite sayings was, "I've got
every cryin' dime I ever made!" Devoted to his wife, unknown to her, he kept about
eight hats of hers for 45 years. Just before she died in 1976, he lined up a bunch of
styrafoam heads and had a hat on each one for her to see when she came in. She was
extremely surprised and touched. That's the kind of man Sam was.
Nancy A. Stine, daughter.
stine@ionet.net