Ralph Willard Sample

Ralph Willard Sample was the youngest son of James and Eva Sample. He was born April 19, 1917 in Spring Valley, Minnesota. He attended the Elementary and High School in Spring Valley and graduated from University of Minnesota School of Agriculture in 1932. At that time he returned to Spring Valley to help his father with the operation of The Sample Farms. On September 1, 1940 he married Merle Loucks at the Little Brown Church in Hampton, Iowa. They farmed in the Spring Valley area for the next 10 years, and during this period two daughters, Sheila and Eva, were born. In 1950 the family moved to Coolidge, Arizona because of Eva's health problems, and Ralph found work at the McFarland Lumber Company. In 1954 he was transferred to Phoenix, and he and his family moved to Tempe, Arizona where they lived until 1987. Ralph worked in the office at Hammond-McFarland Lumber Company and Baker Thomas and managed and owned South Central Lumberyard. Ralph was an active member of the Tempe Lions Club and the First Congregational Church in Tempe. After his retirement in 1982, he drove School bus for Tempe Elementary District to keep busy, and in 1987 Ralph and Merle moved to Leisure World where he was a member of the Computer Club, Green Banana Investments Club, Minnesota Club and the Apache Wells Community Church. He is survived by Merle, his wife of 65 years; his daughter Sheila Woodgate; his son-in-law Paul Woodgate; two grandchildren, Scott (and Artemiza) and Ann-Marie Woodgate (and Glenn Marsom); one great-grandson Toby Marsom; and two sisters Virginia Knudtson and Barbara Schuler. Ralph and Merle's daughter Eva preceded him in death as did his three brothers, Darrell, Ivan and Roy. Memorials to Hospice of Arizona, Leisure World Foundation or Apache Wells Church. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Mariposa Gardens Funeral Care, 400 S. Power Rd., Mesa. The funeral Service will be on Wednesday at 10:30 AM at the Apache Wells Community Church, 2115 N Gayridge Rd, Mesa, AZ. Arrangements were handled by Mariposa Gardens Funeral Care (480) 830-4422 Sign the Guest Book at eastvalleytribune.com
This obituary was originally published in the East Valley Tribune.