Samuel Blair and Anna Augusta Myers

     Samuel Blair Myers was born October 16, 1861, to William and Catherine Myers, in Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania.  He had eight brothers and sisters.  In 1868, when Samuel was seven years old, his parents moved their family to Missouri.   The family moved to Iowa, where Samuel met and married Anna Augusta (Gussie) Boveia in April 14, 1885.   They lived near Shell Rock, Iowa.

Above:  Photo taken in Shell Rock, Iowa.  Back row:  Everett, Frank, Harv, and Bert.  Front row:  Anna, Howard, May (was adopted) and S.B. Myers.

Above:  Mary Catherine Myers.

     The Samuel and Anna Myers and their young family moved to South Dakota in 1900, buying a 480 acre farm five miles north of DeSmet.  They farmed there until 1927. 

     Samuel and Anna had seven children:

          1.  Everett Stanton, born March 9, 1886 and died March 26, 1951.

          2.  Bert Ray, born September 22, 1887 and died May 28, 1961. 

          3.  Harvey Blair, born April 24, 1890 and died

          4.  Francis (Frank) William, born December 24,1891 and died April 16, 1976.

          5.  Howard Norman, born November 23, 1893, and died May 12, 1924. 

          6.  Mary Catherine, born November 19, 1901, and died

          7.  George Ellis, born September 22, 1908, and died November 16, 1968. 

     After the death of Anna's sister, Mildred McRoberts, her four young children came to live with the Myers family.  Reta was 12 years old, and Mary Margaret (called Margaret) McRoberts was 22 months younger.   A year later, Clarence came to live with them.  He was four years old at the time.  Anna's own two youngest children, Mary Catherine was 8, and George was 2.  Anna was kept very busy with sewing, washing and preparing meals.  Raymond McRoberts lived with them a short time, but then moved back to Iowa.

     Anna died of Briget's Disease, April 6, 1917.  Mary Catherine was 15 years old at the time.  Reta McRoberts stay on for about a year after Anna's death.  Thereafter, Mary Catherine took over the housekeeping for her dad and brothers, and a hired man or two. 

     In later years, Samuel moved to Seneca, S.D. to live with his son Bert and family.  He spent one year there and then returned to DeSmet to live out his remaining years, many of them with his son George and family.  Samuel died June 15, 1941.