Lewis B. Sommers was born in Peoria, Illinois, July 5, 1871 and passed away near Protection, Kansas, March 18, 1938 at the age of 67 years, 8 months and 13 days. He grew to young manhood in Peoria where he was married in 1889, his wife passing away in 1893.About thirty tears ago Mr. Sommer's came west as far as Topeka, Kansas, where he was employed in a hospital for five years. From Topeka he came to Coldwater. During his early residence in this country, he worked for several years for Milo Flowers and Brenton Herd, and for brief periods for others around Wilmore. Nearly ten years ago he came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Pepperd, where he continued to reside until a few days ago, when medical attention made it necessary to remove him to Coldwater.
Mr. Sommers made a public profession of Christian faith in the Wilmore Baptist Church in Dec. 1925, during one of Rev. Bauer's meetings here. He was baptized by the pastor Rev. C. W. Safford in Jan. 1926. He was devoted to his church, and attended both Sunday School and church services regularly until recent years. His deafened condition proved a great handicap to the joy he formerly derived from the sacred services. He was devout in his faith, a regular reader of the Bible and fervent in prayer. His favorite chapter was 1 Corinthians 13.
Mr. Sommers has long been affectionately known and addressed as "Daddy Sommers" although he had no living relatives, he had a host of friends. He was a familiar personage over a wide community to young and old alike. The freedom of the Pepperd home was his. This christian hospitality was a cherished blessing to him to the last. Jesus said, "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Funeral services were conducted by the pastor Rev. E. Russell Pitman, in the Wilmore Baptist church, Sunday afternoon at 2:30. Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery.
The picture above is of the Men's Bible Class in 1931. Sam Lawrence was the teacher of the class. The gentlemen are (from left to right): Lew Kluttz (had an auto agency), Perry Wall (hardware store owner & rancher), Perry Barber, Bruce Snare, Jeff Forree, Van Lott (owned grocery store), Lawrence York (rancher), L.B. "Daddy" Sommers, John Manahan (school superintendent), Sam Lawrence, Oscar Pinkston, Grandfather Ray, Tom Pepperd (had gas delivery truck & farmed), Shurd Smith (railroad section man), Lester Larimer (Sunday School superintendent & farmer). Photo courtesy of David Lawrence."Mrs. Lauren Ridge, Mrs. T. C. Pepperd and L. B. Sommers went to Kinsley Tuesday afternoon and brought Miss Geneva Pepperd to Wilmore for the Eastern Star installation. Miss Geneva returned to Kinsley Wednesday morning." -- -- (excerpt from) Wilmore News, The Wilmore News, October 18, 1936.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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