John Lee Sampels was born on the Kaw River near Winfield, Kansas, October 13, 1876, the son of Andrew and Cynthia Sampels.   His parents both passed away when he was very young, and he was then raised by foster parents.

     When John Sampels was grown, he went to Missouri to work, and there met Alice Evanda Wade, the daughter of D. H. Wade of Wright County, whom he married at Manes, Missouri, on September 26th, 1897.   Mrs. Sampels had been born in Astoria, Missouri, on September 26th, 1872.   At the age of 18, she was saved in the Baptist Church.   Three years after her marriage, she rejoiced to see her husband saved and join her in membership in the Baptist Church in Manes, Missouri.   The Sampels family continued to live in Manes, Missouri, while Brother Sampels worked out.   He worked in the mines at Joplin, Missouri, for a time, and later worked on the railroad in Arkansas.

     Four children were born in Manes; Fred in 1898, Marvin in 1901, Lexie in 1903, and Howard in 1906.    In 1906 the Sampels family moved to Oregon, coming first to Condon in Gilliam County, and then settling at Lone Rock.   The next year, they moved to Mayville, where they joined the Mayville Baptist Church, and there remained members for more than ten years.   Here at Mayville, two more children were added to the family; Wilbur in 1909 and Orpha in 1911.

     Brother Sampels said he was called to preach in 1901, but that he did not yield to the call until ten years later.   He preached his first sermon in Mayville, in January, 1912, and was then licensed by the church to preach the gospel.  In 1914, the Sampels family moved to a farm on the Nestucca River in Tillamook County, a few miles above Beaver, Oregon, and here, Brother Sampels began preaching for the church that then met in the Nestucca Valley Grange Hall between Beaver and Blaine.   He preached there until the spring of 1915, when he was called to pastor the church at Gateway, Oregon, in Jefferson County, and the family moved to Gateway.   That year, the Middle Oregon Baptist Association met with the Spray Baptist Church of Spray, Oregon, and during that meeting, Brother J. L. Sampels was ordained to preach by the Mayville Baptist Church.   With him, Brother Fred Brown and Brother A. S. Simmons were ordained as deacons of the Mayville church.    Both of these men later became preachers of the gospel also.

     One of my very first childhood memories is of attending Sunday school and church services in the old grange hall, which was on the other side of the Nestucca River from us, and next to the cheese factory, about three miles away by the road, as we had to go down the river in order to cross the bridge.   I well remember Brother Sampels preaching at that time.

     After being at Gateway a couple of years, Brother Sampels went out, in 1918, as missionary of the Middle Oregon Baptist Association.   Later, he pastored the following churches:   Madras, Wagner Creek (Talent, Oregon), Monument, Mitchell, New Pine Creek, North Sacramento and Hagginwood in Sacramento, California, and the Lone Pine Baptist Church, then near Terrebonne, Oregon.

      Brother and Sister Sampels were living in Central Oregon when Sister Alice Sampels passed away, March 28, 1945, at Bend, Oregon.   She had been a wonderful wife and Christian mother, to whose godly influence, is credited the leading of all their children to accept Christ as Savior, and to be saved.   She was greatly missed by all who knew her.

     In 1947, Brother J. L. Sampels and Sister Maude Simmons, widow of Elder A. S. Simmons, were married, and thus he found a sweet helpmate for his last years.   They lived at Bend, Oregon and later at Redmond, Oregon, until he passed away in the hospital at Bend in 1954, and was buried there, alongside his first wife Alice, companion of so many years.   All the children of Brother Sampels are living except one; Howard, who was badly crushed in a logging accident, and never fully recovered.

     Elder J. L. Sampels held many meetings in school houses and other available places, never asking for offerings, but witnessing the salvation of many souls.   Personally I remember a great meeting he held for the Cloverdale Baptist Church, sometime about 1922.   Many found the Lord as Savior in that meeting, and the church was blessed in a wonderful way.

     Throughout our Oregon country, Brother Sampels was much loved.   He was somewhat eccentric in his preaching, always speaking extemporaneously, while moving about the platform, and even down the aisles of the church, to bring home his points to the hearers.   He was often times very plainspoken, but was loved the better for it, for he preached the old time Baptist doctrine, without pulling any punches.    We do wish for more preachers like him today.   I counted him a very dear friend, and I look forward to seeing him again in the glory land.

     ~ ~ John R. Blalock

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Tom Blalock Webservant edit@BaptistLandmarks.org