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Sam At Age 99

Tuesday January 23, 2007

By Deborah Foster

   Orville and Wilbur Wright had just flown at Kitty Hawk in 1903, three years before he was born and World War one had yet to begin but Sam  S.was doing what he liked best; playing golf. Today, at 99 Sam can share a yarn or give a history lesson like few others.

    While in high School, Sam was asked by the principal if he wanted to make a little pocket change at the golf course not far from Public School 25, in Flushing Heights Queens, New York. Sam had the good fortune to be asked by the golf pro to continue after high school but his mother was not overly excited, yet before he left the golf world, Sam did get to caddy for the great Gene Sorenson. Sam recalls one memorable shot; It was a par five on the twelfth hole and Sorenson used a driver to head the ball some 246 yards. Then with agreement from his caddy, he used a “spooner” ( 3 iron) to sing the putt in for a double eagle. It was one of those plays you remember for a lifetime and now  80 years later, Sam has not forgotten.  When Sam was carrying golf bags across fairways television with zoom shots on the fairways was yet to be invented and Monday night football was a long way off.

    Sam spent 46 years working as a service foreman managing line gangs in New York state.  And his arthritic right knee is proof of the work he did for more then 46 years. His first car was a Hub mobile and his father's brother had a Pierce Arrow made by Packard. “Those were great cars” reflected Sam. When he retired he and his wife, Bertha moved to Vermont to be near family. His sister in law was a pediatric nurse at Porter for many years and both feel that home health has been a “great organization”. “There are wonderful people in Addison County” said Pat who brings a couple of cookies over to Sam every morning.

    A Home Health nurse visits Sam twice a week to assess his medical needs, manage his pain and administer his medications.  “They help me keep my independence and they are just wonderful people. My nurse is a wonderful person who knows just what is needed to keep me moving,” said Sam.   The relationship he has with his caregiver is special and his nurse, Kristen  from Addison County Home Health and Hospice values it as much as Sam.

    Sam pulls out his photo album to talk about the twenty six years he went deer hunting in Maine with buddies from work and he enjoys reminiscing with visitors and recalling his younger years when his knee worked better and he could skate along the river to the Worlds Fair in 1939 . Sam now keeps track of the news and readily offers his opinion about current affairs. “Now I fear the constitution is being undermined.” Said Sam. When asked who he thought was the better president in the last 100 years, Sam briefly reflects and offers Roosevelt -“he  did it right.”

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