Our Fire District lost one of our founding members a few weeks ago. Sam Warren was the first man to sign up to be a volunteer fireman in 1948 for the Suburban Rural Fire Protection District. Over the years, this organization would become the Fire District we all know today. If it wasn’t for men like Sam, who knows what things would like like, or if any of us would be where we are. What Sam, did 64 years ago can’t even be measured today.
Up until a few weeks ago, this was what I knew of Sam Warren. He was a quiet man who did not share much about his past. There are just a few left in our organization who had the pleasure of working with Sam before he officially retired in the early eighties, but most of us knew very little of his life.
Here’s is Sam’s obituary. It tells a much better story than I ever could.
Samuel R. Warren, 93, died of cancer at his home on March 27, 2012, with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law by his side.
He was born in Collingswood, N.J., to Mary and Samuel Warren and lived there only a short time as the family then moved to Oregon and lived in the area of Forest Grove and Hillsboro. The family next moved to the San Francisco Bay area in California. His mother moved to Klamath Falls with her three children. Sam attended Mills Elementary School and also worked at any jobs that were available.
He enlisted in the Navy in July 1940 and was sent to San Diego, Calif., for boot camp. He was placed in the aviation unit and became a machinist mate. He was assigned to the USS Honolulu and shipped to the Hawaiian Islands. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. His ship was one of the many ships that were damaged that day. Once repairs were completed, the ship headed for the South Pacific. During his years in the Navy, he was sent to many locations in Alaska, the Pacific Theater and Australia. He was transferred to the USS Curtis and stayed on that ship for the rest of the war. He returned to Alameda, Calif., and was sent to a naval base in Norfolk, Va., and continued being involved with airplanes. He was discharged through the U.S. Naval Personnel Center as a machinist mate first class with an honorable discharge after six years of service.
He returned to Klamath Falls after his discharge and began a career as an auto and truck mechanic.
He met Elsie Kurnick and they were married April 6, 1947. They bought a house in the suburbs and found out there would be a fire station built across the street from their house. When the article appeared in the paper that volunteers would be needed, he became a charter member of the Suburban Fire Department, which then became Klamath County Fire District No. 1. He served as a volunteer for the fire department for 35 years. He devoted countless hours to the fire department and was able to see it grow into the fine organization that it is today. There was never a time when the fire department asked for help that he was not first in line. He served as president of the organization and also was honored as the Fireman of the Year twice during his time with the fire district, once in 1953 and then again in 1981.
He and Elsie had two daughters, Linda Mary and Barbara Anne.
He worked for various car and truck dealerships during his career and finally ended up being the mechanic and maintenance man for Klamath Falls Creamery, where he retired in 1984.
One of his hobbies was bowling. He bowled in a league for many years after retirement. He also liked to fish. He and the family spent time at Union Creek, camping and fishing for trout. They also spent time in Winchester Bay and Newport, where he would fish for salmon from the charter boats.
He is survived by his wife Elsie; daughter Barbara and her husband Butch Ellis of Gridley, Calif.; granddaughter Melanie and her husband Mark Underwood of Roseburg, Ore.; and grandson Matt and his wife Heather Ellis and their children Alexis and Jonathan of Sacramento, California. He was preceded in death by his daughter Linda DeDobbelaere.
It was an honor that the Fire District was asked to facilitate a fire service funeral for Sam. There are several traditions that go into a fire service funeral.
Apparatus is parked in a line, with black bunting draped across the front of the engines to signify the mourning of the passed firefighter.
All firefighters stand at attention with the widow and family are escorted through the honor corridor into the service.
Then the firefighters file into the service and take their seats directly behind the family.
The tradition of having a bagpiper goes back hundreds of years. I don’t care who you are, the sound of a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” will bring tears to your eyes.
For our purposes, the Honor Guard consisted of both the Fire District and the Navy, due to Sam’s service in both.
I would estimate that about 100 people turned out for the service.
In addition to the fire service traditions, the Navy traditions also played a large part. If the bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” didn’t get you, the lone bugler in the background playing “Taps” during the flag folding ceremony would.
Another fire service tradition is the sound of the bell. In the past, as firefighters began their tour of duty, it was the bell that signaled the beginning of that day’s shift. Throughout the day and night, each alarm was sounded by a bell, which summoned these brave souls to fight fires and to place their lives in jeopardy for the good of their fellow citizen. When the fire was out and the alarm hand come to an end, it was the bell that signaled to all the completion of that call. When a firefighter had died in the line of duty it was the mournful toll of the bell that solemnly announced a comrade’s passing. The bell ceremony consists of five rings of the bell, a pause, five rings of the bell, a pause, and five rings of the bell.
The final tradition is the last call. If you have managed to get to this point and not shed a tear, get out your handkerchief because this one will for sure get you. All firefighters in attendance are asked to turn on their pagers. The room goes silent and the 911 dispatcher comes over the radio saying the following:
Firefighter Sam Warren (pause)
Firefighter Sam Warren (pause)
Firefighter Sam Warren (pause)
Attention all units and stations (pause)
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Firefighter Sam Warren, Veteran of Suburban Fire Department and Fire District No. 1. Roll call has been taken and Firefighter Warren has failed to answer. The bell has been struck for his last alarm. May the sun shine upon his path, may the wind always be at his back, and may the Lord hold him in the palm of his hand until we meet again.
The worst part of this is when the 911 dispatcher’s voice catches as she struggles to recite the words.
Although Sam had retired long ago, he and Elsie continued to provide support to the Fire District. Here is the link to an earlier blog that I wrote about Sam and Elsie http://scottandstacysadventures.blogspot.com/2011/05/sunday-brunch_15.html
These services are reminders of the incredible people that I work with and how the fire service is not just a job, but it’s a family and lifetime commitment.
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