 West Hill Cemetery Sherman, Texas  The Confederate Veteran Magazine vol. XXX August 1922 pg. 310 SAMUEL BONAHM A life span of almost 90 years, 63 of which had been spent in Sherman and Grayson County, Texas, closed with the death of Samuel Bonham on January 29, 1922. after a 2 days' illness. He was born in Clarke County, Virginia, February 1832 and completed a college course at Berryville, making a civil engineer. He then served Clarke County as county surveyor, but at the age of 22 he went to Missouri and there engaged in surveying. Going thence to Kansas, he was surveying for the State when he was captured by the Pawnee Indians. Leaving Kasas, he engaged in surveying in Nebrfaska for 3 years, then went to Texas in 1859 and located at Sherman, then a village, where he continued his special work until called to take up arms for the SOuth. He joined a company under Capt. Ben McCulloch, Baylor's Regiment, W.P. Layne's Brigade, and gave 4 years of service to the Confederacy. Returning to Sherman after the war was over, he again took up surveying an dwas county surveyor for nearly 40 years. In that time he laid out hundreds of farms, and many of the plats of Sherman and Denison, seeing these communities grow into their present-day status from the trading stations of pioneer days. He was a charter member of the Grayson County Old Settlers' Association, and at the time of his death, Dean of the Grayson County Early Settlers. He was active almost to the last, going about the city among his friends when the weather was good. Comrade Bonham was married in 1863 to Miss Martha Ann Melton, daughter of one of the Sherman pioneers, and to them were born 5 sons and 3 daughters, all surviving him. After the death of hsi wife, he lived with his children in New York and Knoxville, Tennessee, eventually returning to Sherman as the home of his choice. West Hill Cemetery Elaine Nall Bay ©2019 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |