Sam Gilmore

Samuel Gillmore by Gerald Lowe and Pauline Dummit

from Back to Barry

Samuel Gillmore was born January 28, 1851 in Bronson, Michigan, the son of William Gillmore and Louisa Brower. Around 1854 his mother died and he and his father moved from Michigan. In 1860 they were in Osceola, Iowa, where William Gilmore worked as a day laborer and Sammy boarded with Pheba Iasbel, whom William Gillmore later married. After the Civil War the family moved to Barry County, Missouri where Sammy spent the rest of his life. The exact date is unknown, but sometime in the early 1870's Sammy married Mary Frances Hundley. They had three children, but only one, George William Gillmore, survived to adulthood. " Little Joe died at about age five and Rosella at threemonths. Both were reportedly midgets like Sammy, who was only 38 inches tall. George was 6 feet 4 inches tall. Apparently Sammy had several occupations which included farming and owning a mill on the Roaring River. His principal occupation seemed to be that of a store keeper. He owned a store in Eagle Rock, Missouri. Behind the counter was a platform so t hat he could serve the customers, and it is said that many customers were surprised when they discovered he was so short. Story also has it that Sammy was a very intelligent and highly respected man. He served for several years as a Justice of the Peace. And although not noted for his wealth he held many of the mortgages in Barry County. Sometime after Mary Frances died in 1918 Sammy is said to have bought himself another wife. Her name was Josie Russell and Sammy was supposed to have traded a bag of flour to her parents for her. Josie was living in Butterfield, Missouri in 1986 when she died. Sammy died in Missouri on March 14, 1930. He is buried beside his wife Mary Frances at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at Butterfield, Missouri. This information was given by Sammy's great-grandson, Gerald Lowe from Birmingham, Alabama. Gerald Lowe is a cousin of Pauline Durnmit of Cassville, Missouri.

From Butterfield Community Then and Now

The first Gillmore in our village was Sammy Gillmore, born January 28, 1851, in MI and who had lived previously with his first spouse Mary Frances Hundley. (Samuels obituary says her name was Mary Frances Wise) born March 14, in the 1840's. She died on October 18, 1918. They lived near Mano, Missouri most all of theirs married life, bringing into the family, three children as follows: Little Joe, died at about age 5, Rosella wbo died young at age 3. George William "Bill" the only child to grow to manhood attained tbe height of 6 ft - 2" despite that Sammy was a midget at 38 incbes tall. Sammy was the son of William and Louisa Brewer from Michigan. Prior to coming to SW MO William had served in the Civil War in Company B of the Iowa 18 infantry from July 23, 1863 -January 21, 1864. He mustered out because of pbysical disability. After tbe war, William returned to Southwest MO with bis family, spouse Pheba (Isabel) Gillmore whom be married June 17, 1860. They had nine children in tbe family and only three survived wben tbe 1900 census took place. William died February 13, 1903, in Cassville, MO. Sammy and Frances bad only one living child G. W. Bill Gillmore who was born on August 5, 1878, in Barry County. He married Rhoda Melvina Dell, daughter of Henry and Parmelia Jane (Kelley) Dell, on June 23, 1898. Over a period of 25 years they had eleven children. George worked in bis father's grocery store near Eagle Rock, MO until the 1920's when they moved to Butterfield. Sammy and spouse owned a General Store at Butterfield, also a filling station. Sammy married a Butterfield girl second and story says that be bought her for a sack of flour. Tbe census in 1920 shows that she was only 18 and Sammy was 68. No doubt Sammy was needing help in the store. He died on March 14, 1930, and buried by bis first spouse at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, near Butterfield. G. W. 'Bill' and Rhoda raised their family in Butterfield. The School enumeration for 1929 shows children, Nora, Belva, Vedayne "Sig," Elaine, Ralpb, Carl and Jess as school age. The 1920 census listed two more children as Mildred a daughter and Lester a son. Two others born later are Georgia and Jammie. The family moved to California in tbe 1930's wbere they are both buried near Antioch, California. Pauline (Pennel) Dummitt was a niece of one of tbe children, Georgia, and submits tbis information.

Sammy Gilmore served on 1907 Grand Jury

Sammy Gilmore and first wife, Mary Frances Hundley

Sammy Gilmore and second wife, Josephine Russell

Sammy Gilmore in front of store near Eagle Rock