Sam (Sammie) K. Ford was born to F. M. Ford and Oneta Kyle Ford West of Springer, OK. on the Ford Family Farm on 9/13/1943 in what he always called the chicken house.

Sam was raised on the family farm after his family returned from California where his father worked in the Oil Field to make money to buy the farm. From an early age Sam was taught what demanding work was. He was driving a tractor and trucks from the time he was 6 years old helping his family with custom hay baling and later hauling hay. Sam was a graduate of Springer High School with the class of 1961. He was a baseball and basketball player as well as a performer in the school artistic programs. He was class president for 11 out of 12 years.  He said that the girls got mad at him one year and did not vote for him to be class president.

While cruising main street, he saw Dewinda McBride and told his buddies that he was going to date her.    Sam's Mother and Daddy were picking up potatoes when he told them that he had met the girl that he was going to marry 3 days after he met her. They scoffed at the idea and said good luck. They were married a year later on 2/23/1963.   Sam & Dewinda have been married 59 years, 7 Months and 16 days.

Sam started his career in construction at age 12 working with his grandfather building a grainery for the farm and subsequently working for various home builders in the Ardmore area with his Uncle Othel Kyle. He and Dewinda moved to Irving, Texas in 1964 where he continued in construction working in the mobile home & housing industry becoming a manager of three mobile home plants before the age of 30. After moving from Texas to Lone Grove, OK, Sam worked for various companies finally retiring from Howard Construction Company.

Sam was an original member of the Lone Grove Citizens Committee for Charter Government in 1984; as Public  Relations Chairman of the Lone Grove Centennial Committee; as a member of the Lone Grove School Board 1982-1989; as clerk of the school board for five years; as a founding member of the Lone Grove Chamber of Commerce,  Lone Grove Kiwanis Club and Ideal Trust Authority; he was named the Kiwanian of the year in 1985 and was on the board of directors of Kiwanis; he was a member of the Lone Grove Young Farmers and Carter County Junior Livestock Committee and served as superintendent of the Carter County Junior Livestock Show.  Sam was honored as a Lone Grove outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1998.

Sam was preceded in death by his parents, son Cole Younger Ford in 1974, brothers Lester Evans Ford in 2019, James Milton Ford in 1940, Kenneth Merriott Ford in 1969 and Grandson Dalton (Youngun) Gage Ford in 2022 with whom he had a special relationship.

He is survived by his wife Dewinda of the home, daughter Angie Robinson & Husband Kevin of Newport, OK, son Devlon Ford and wife Tina of Springer, OK, granddaughter Katlin (Puff) Esteph & Husband Dereck (Skippy) of Idabel, OK, grandson Reilly (Boot) Ford and wife Samantha of Burneyville, OK, great grandsons Bennett (Scoot) Esteph and Graham (Buddy) Esteph of Idabel, OK., sister-in-law Leann Ford, brothers Danny Ford and wife Donale, Steve Ford and wife Kendra, Mike Ford and wife Amy.

Casket bearers will be Devlon Ford, Reilly Ford, Katlin Esteph, Dereck Esteph, Brandon Ford and Trey Smothers along with Kevin Robinson and Bennett & Graham Esteph.

Honorary Casket Bearers will be Judy Kyle, Shirley Kyle McClendon whom he considered to be his sister and who taught him everything about farm life when he was 6 years old, the Kyle First Cousins, who he loved playing dominoes with, and finally in the memory of Dalton (Youngun) Ford, his grandson, who reminded him of his self in his younger years.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dalton Ford Memorial Mechanic Scholarship fund at American Nation Bank.

The family will hold a visitation on Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 at the funeral home.

Funeral services will be Thursday at 2:00 pm in the Craddock Memorial Chapel with Rev. Royce McClennden officiating,  with burial in the Ford Family Plot at Lone Grove East Cemetery.