Honorable Samuel M. Barker

Notes:

News comes front Silver Creek, Neb., of the death on October 11th of Hon. Samuel M. Barker, who passed away in the seventy-fourth; year of his life, the immediate cause of his death being inflammation of the bladder. A letter at hand from Edmund Mclntyre, a friend for many years of the deceased, brings such particulars as we have received. Mr. Mclntyre had worked side by side with Mr. Barker on the Nebraska state board of agriculture for more than twenty years, and bears tribute to his sterling worth and character. "No one," says Mr. Mclntyre, "stood higher in the estimation of all who knew him; his mind was clear to the end, and he died firm in his faith in a future life." Mrs. Barker is worn by weeks of watching and anxiety, but is bearing up as well as could be expected, and the daughter, Mary, whose home is in Dakota, was sent for when her father's situation grew critical. The burial was at Columbus, Neb [later changed to New York]. Mr. Barker was a prominent citizen of Schuyler a quarter of a century ago, and one of the most popular and prosperous residents of the town of Hector. He was a farmer and dealer in sheep, and when he removed to Nebraska in the early seventies he went into the sheep business there, buying his sheep in Utah and other territories and feeding them through the winter before selling. For a number of years Mr. Barker was president of the Nebraska state board of agriculture. The home farm in Hector where Mr. Barker was born is between Peach Orchard and Logan. Later he removed to Watkins and lived on the corner of Eighth and Franklin Street; in the pillared house, which was removed to make way for the residence of Mr. A. C. Woodward. In 1865 and '66 Mr. Barker represented this county in the legislature and was an influential member of that body. It was during his terms that the fight to change the county seat from Havana to Watkins was finally ended in our favor. Mr. Barker's strength in the assembly and his 'exceeding popularity in this county were largely due to a sincere and unaffected geniality which was natural to the man. He liked everybody, had a good word for everyone. This and his sterling qualities as a man and neighbor made him one of the most influential men of the time in his town and county. Mr. Barker leaves a wife, formerly Miss Henry of Hector, sister of I. W. Henry of Reynoldsville, and one daughter.
(Watkins Express, Watkins, NY Thursday, October 24, 1901)

Family/Spouse: Margaret Henry. Margaret (daughter of Robert Henry and Mary Akin) was born on 10 Feb 1828 in Hector, Schuyler County, New York; died on 30 Dec 1914 in Silver Creek, Merrick County, Nebraska; was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Watkins Glen, Schuyler County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Amon Amonia Sanders on 27 Aug 1904 in Iowa Falls, Wright County, Iowa. Amon was born in 1864; died in 1937. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]