Sammie Clark was the second child of Erasmus Lee and Annie Fain Clark of Sparta, White Co., Tn. She was named after her maternal grandfather, Samuel Fain. She had one full brother, Waman Clark, who was 17 months older and her close companion. In her journal, Sammie writes, "During our growing up years Waman and I were very close. I played all the boy games with him, climbed trees and the barn roof, and played football. And on rainey or snowy days he played dolls or paper dolls with me."
Her father, Erasmus Lee Clark, died at age 28, two months before Sammie was born. Later, her mother remarried, Mr. S.M. McDougal, and had three more children. Her half-sister, Annie Elizabeth, died at age two, but Sammie did have two half-brothers, Marshall and Fain.
She graduated from Lawrence County High School at age 16, enrolled at the George Peabody Teachers College in Nashville and secured a teachers certificate. She became a teacher at age 17, teaching students, about the same age as herself or older. When her step-father became ill, she went home to help until he died. She worked a short time in a dry goods store, then her mother became ill and died.
Her first real date, at age 15, was with Raymond Sims to church one Sunday night. He was the brother of the man she would marry, Almon James Sims. Shortly after the death of her mother, she was married to A. J. Sims on 11 April 1917, by her grandfather, Rev. Samuel L. Fain. They honeymooned in Chattanooga, Tn.
They first lived in Nashville, then they moved to Knoxville where they lived the rest of their lives. While they also lived in both the Philippines and Iran, they traveled extensively both here and abroad, toured Europe, and visited the Holy Lands, their home was on Holbrook Drive, in the heart of Fountain City, Knoxville, Tn. She belonged to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and the Gleaner's Sunday School Class. She was active in the Women's Missionary Union.
They had 6 children:
-Almon James "Jay" Jr.
-Annie Fain
-Joseph Wilbur "Bill"
-Frank Clark
-Mary Alice
-Jane Camilla
At the time of her death she had 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Her grandsons served as pallbearers.
Her grandchildren remember her flower gardens with roses in bloom for Mother's Day and something else in bloom almost year round. She enjoyed being outside, working in her many different flower beds. She also was a accomplished seamstress and made lots of clothes for her family, and two quilts from the scraps. She read the newspaper and kept up with current events. She also had her own subscriptions to "Ladies Home Journal," "Good Houskeeping," "Better Homes and Garden," and "Southern Living." She played bridge and hosted her church circle meetings, family gatherings, and out of town visitors. Each year she canned many different types of fruits and vegetables. And her Christmas Eve family gatherings were a family favorite. She always had Christmas tea cakes (cookies), cut out and iced for this event, and she set a beautiful table. And in summers her grandchildren were invited to spend a week, during which she served up lots of hot dogs and coke floats. She wrote a treasured memoir of her early life. She was just amazing.
- compiled by Gaynelle Hobt Morton, one of her granddaughters
- revised Feb 2019
- revised Feb 2021
Her father, Erasmus Lee Clark, died at age 28, two months before Sammie was born. Later, her mother remarried, Mr. S.M. McDougal, and had three more children. Her half-sister, Annie Elizabeth, died at age two, but Sammie did have two half-brothers, Marshall and Fain.
She graduated from Lawrence County High School at age 16, enrolled at the George Peabody Teachers College in Nashville and secured a teachers certificate. She became a teacher at age 17, teaching students, about the same age as herself or older. When her step-father became ill, she went home to help until he died. She worked a short time in a dry goods store, then her mother became ill and died.
Her first real date, at age 15, was with Raymond Sims to church one Sunday night. He was the brother of the man she would marry, Almon James Sims. Shortly after the death of her mother, she was married to A. J. Sims on 11 April 1917, by her grandfather, Rev. Samuel L. Fain. They honeymooned in Chattanooga, Tn.
They first lived in Nashville, then they moved to Knoxville where they lived the rest of their lives. While they also lived in both the Philippines and Iran, they traveled extensively both here and abroad, toured Europe, and visited the Holy Lands, their home was on Holbrook Drive, in the heart of Fountain City, Knoxville, Tn. She belonged to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and the Gleaner's Sunday School Class. She was active in the Women's Missionary Union.
They had 6 children:
-Almon James "Jay" Jr.
-Annie Fain
-Joseph Wilbur "Bill"
-Frank Clark
-Mary Alice
-Jane Camilla
At the time of her death she had 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Her grandsons served as pallbearers.
Her grandchildren remember her flower gardens with roses in bloom for Mother's Day and something else in bloom almost year round. She enjoyed being outside, working in her many different flower beds. She also was a accomplished seamstress and made lots of clothes for her family, and two quilts from the scraps. She read the newspaper and kept up with current events. She also had her own subscriptions to "Ladies Home Journal," "Good Houskeeping," "Better Homes and Garden," and "Southern Living." She played bridge and hosted her church circle meetings, family gatherings, and out of town visitors. Each year she canned many different types of fruits and vegetables. And her Christmas Eve family gatherings were a family favorite. She always had Christmas tea cakes (cookies), cut out and iced for this event, and she set a beautiful table. And in summers her grandchildren were invited to spend a week, during which she served up lots of hot dogs and coke floats. She wrote a treasured memoir of her early life. She was just amazing.
- compiled by Gaynelle Hobt Morton, one of her granddaughters
- revised Feb 2019
- revised Feb 2021
Sammie Clark was the second child of Erasmus Lee and Annie Fain Clark of Sparta, White Co., Tn. She was named after her maternal grandfather, Samuel Fain. She had one full brother, Waman Clark, who was 17 months older and her close companion. In her journal, Sammie writes, "During our growing up years Waman and I were very close. I played all the boy games with him, climbed trees and the barn roof, and played football. And on rainey or snowy days he played dolls or paper dolls with me."
Her father, Erasmus Lee Clark, died at age 28, two months before Sammie was born. Later, her mother remarried, Mr. S.M. McDougal, and had three more children. Her half-sister, Annie Elizabeth, died at age two, but Sammie did have two half-brothers, Marshall and Fain.
She graduated from Lawrence County High School at age 16, enrolled at the George Peabody Teachers College in Nashville and secured a teachers certificate. She became a teacher at age 17, teaching students, about the same age as herself or older. When her step-father became ill, she went home to help until he died. She worked a short time in a dry goods store, then her mother became ill and died.
Her first real date, at age 15, was with Raymond Sims to church one Sunday night. He was the brother of the man she would marry, Almon James Sims. Shortly after the death of her mother, she was married to A. J. Sims on 11 April 1917, by her grandfather, Rev. Samuel L. Fain. They honeymooned in Chattanooga, Tn.
They first lived in Nashville, then they moved to Knoxville where they lived the rest of their lives. While they also lived in both the Philippines and Iran, they traveled extensively both here and abroad, toured Europe, and visited the Holy Lands, their home was on Holbrook Drive, in the heart of Fountain City, Knoxville, Tn. She belonged to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and the Gleaner's Sunday School Class. She was active in the Women's Missionary Union.
They had 6 children:
-Almon James "Jay" Jr.
-Annie Fain
-Joseph Wilbur "Bill"
-Frank Clark
-Mary Alice
-Jane Camilla
At the time of her death she had 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Her grandsons served as pallbearers.
Her grandchildren remember her flower gardens with roses in bloom for Mother's Day and something else in bloom almost year round. She enjoyed being outside, working in her many different flower beds. She also was a accomplished seamstress and made lots of clothes for her family, and two quilts from the scraps. She read the newspaper and kept up with current events. She also had her own subscriptions to "Ladies Home Journal," "Good Houskeeping," "Better Homes and Garden," and "Southern Living." She played bridge and hosted her church circle meetings, family gatherings, and out of town visitors. Each year she canned many different types of fruits and vegetables. And her Christmas Eve family gatherings were a family favorite. She always had Christmas tea cakes (cookies), cut out and iced for this event, and she set a beautiful table. And in summers her grandchildren were invited to spend a week, during which she served up lots of hot dogs and coke floats. She wrote a treasured memoir of her early life. She was just amazing.
- compiled by Gaynelle Hobt Morton, one of her granddaughters
- revised Feb 2019
- revised Feb 2021
Her father, Erasmus Lee Clark, died at age 28, two months before Sammie was born. Later, her mother remarried, Mr. S.M. McDougal, and had three more children. Her half-sister, Annie Elizabeth, died at age two, but Sammie did have two half-brothers, Marshall and Fain.
She graduated from Lawrence County High School at age 16, enrolled at the George Peabody Teachers College in Nashville and secured a teachers certificate. She became a teacher at age 17, teaching students, about the same age as herself or older. When her step-father became ill, she went home to help until he died. She worked a short time in a dry goods store, then her mother became ill and died.
Her first real date, at age 15, was with Raymond Sims to church one Sunday night. He was the brother of the man she would marry, Almon James Sims. Shortly after the death of her mother, she was married to A. J. Sims on 11 April 1917, by her grandfather, Rev. Samuel L. Fain. They honeymooned in Chattanooga, Tn.
They first lived in Nashville, then they moved to Knoxville where they lived the rest of their lives. While they also lived in both the Philippines and Iran, they traveled extensively both here and abroad, toured Europe, and visited the Holy Lands, their home was on Holbrook Drive, in the heart of Fountain City, Knoxville, Tn. She belonged to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and the Gleaner's Sunday School Class. She was active in the Women's Missionary Union.
They had 6 children:
-Almon James "Jay" Jr.
-Annie Fain
-Joseph Wilbur "Bill"
-Frank Clark
-Mary Alice
-Jane Camilla
At the time of her death she had 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Her grandsons served as pallbearers.
Her grandchildren remember her flower gardens with roses in bloom for Mother's Day and something else in bloom almost year round. She enjoyed being outside, working in her many different flower beds. She also was a accomplished seamstress and made lots of clothes for her family, and two quilts from the scraps. She read the newspaper and kept up with current events. She also had her own subscriptions to "Ladies Home Journal," "Good Houskeeping," "Better Homes and Garden," and "Southern Living." She played bridge and hosted her church circle meetings, family gatherings, and out of town visitors. Each year she canned many different types of fruits and vegetables. And her Christmas Eve family gatherings were a family favorite. She always had Christmas tea cakes (cookies), cut out and iced for this event, and she set a beautiful table. And in summers her grandchildren were invited to spend a week, during which she served up lots of hot dogs and coke floats. She wrote a treasured memoir of her early life. She was just amazing.
- compiled by Gaynelle Hobt Morton, one of her granddaughters
- revised Feb 2019
- revised Feb 2021
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