Sam Grider

LEES SUMMIT, MO " Sam Grider, 87, of Lees Summit, MO, formerly of Georgetown, IL, died Saturday May 5 at Jefferson Care Center, Lees Summit, MO. Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Sunsets Houghton-Leasure Funeral Home, 200 E. West Street, Georgetown, Illinois. The Rev. James Blue will officiate. Burial will be in Georgetown Cemetery, Georgetown. Visitation will be from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Mr. Grider, the son of Sam and Gertrude Grider, was born August 3, 1919, in Hillsboro, Indiana and moved to Georgetown at age 5. Survivors include a daughter, Janet Stone of Independence, Mo.; five grandchildren; and 13 great-grand children. He was preceded in death by his wife, a son and 5 brothers and sisters. Mr. Grider graduated from Georgetown High School in 1939. Sam was an all-stater in the 30s and gained football and track stardom. During his prep years, Georgetown lost only four football games, posting a 20-4 mark. During his senior year, prep coaches voted Sam captain of the Illinois All-State football team. Sam played under the legendary Ike Burch, the man for whom Georgetowns football field is named. His athletic exploits later included one season on the University of Illinois football team, a one year contract with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and one season of professional baseball with the Class A Toledo (Ohio) Owls. Sam attended the Indiana University for a semester. At that time he married Helen Jean Yoho, his grade school sweetheart. Later, he enrolled at Murray, KY, and then transferred to the University of Illinois, where he played one season of football He served 2 years in the Navy and advanced to the rank of third class gunners mate. Following his military stint, he went to work for F. L. Jacobs Co., a manufacturer of automobile components. He and his family later moved to Decatur, Illinois where he was superintendent for a Navy ordinance plant. In 1958 Sam and his family moved to Overland Park, KS when he accepted a position with the Bendix Corp. He worked there as Plant Manager until his retirement in 1974. Sam and Helen moved to Grove OK after Sams retirement, where they spent many years fishing, traveling and enjoying visits from their children and grandchildren. In