Samuel Perry Hamilton

Samuel Hamilton, age 83, died on February 7, 2005 at Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville.

Son of Samuel Perry and Anna Sutter Hamilton, Sr., was born on December 29, 1921 in Industry, Kansas. As a child, Sam moved from Kansas with his family to the Rogue River Valley. He graduated from Talent High School and entered the Air Force at the age of 19. This began an association with the Armed Forces that continued for the next forty years through active duty, Air Reserves and the Air National Guard. During WWII he was stationed in Kimbolten, England with the 379th Bomb Group as a Flight Engineer on the B-17 Flying Fortress. He was involved in an incredible mid-air collision over France that left his plane cut in half with only him and one other crew member surviving.

When active service was over, he returned to the Rogue River Valley and settled in Medford, OR. He met and later married W. Marion Bedingfield on August 7, 1948. They lovingly raised their family together until her death on December 15, 1986.

He worked for Weeks & Orr Furniture early on and then worked as a warehouseman in the building supplies trade for many years, first with Cal-Ore Wholesale and lastly with Lumber Products in Medford. He retired in 1985 to care for his ailing wife.

He continued to live in Medford, splitting his time between his two children's homes, always wanting to help them out as much as he could. He enjoyed the farm and ranch life at his son Ron's in Summerville, OR and he was always willing to lend a hand to his daughter, Rhonda in McMinnville. In 1995 he decided it was time to leave Medford so he could be closer to his children. He proudly remodeled a barn on his daughter's property into a comfortable house where he lived until his death.

He made friends wherever he was and was known to be a kind, sweet natured, soft spoken man with a quiet strength of character that will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his son Ronald A. Hamilton and wife Sharon of Summerville, OR; daughter Rhonda Feero of McMinnville, OR; granddaughters Jennifer Feero, Portland, OR; Stephanie Feeley of Medford, OR and Andrea Kleinhoff, McMinnville; grandson Ronnie Hamilton, now serving in Iraq and 2 great-grandsons and many loving nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2005 at 12:00 Noon at Perl Siskiyou Funeral Home in Medford, OR. Viewing will be held prior to the service on Saturday from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM. Memorial contributions may be made to OHSU Cancer Research c/o Macy & Son Funeral Directors.