Samuel Lum Dunaway, Marion businessman, civic leader, WWI veteran and grandson of early county pioneer Sam Dunaway, was born on April 12, 1895, in Marion to Thomas Dunaway and Emma Benson.
Sam descended from one of the families that lived at Old Bainbridge, the village that served as the seat of county government, west of Marion, prior to creation of the county seat in Marion.
His father, Thomas Dunaway, retired Marion merchant, who died in 1921, was the son of Samuel Dunaway, one of the settlers of Bainbridge. Thomas Dunaway was born near that pioneer village in 1848, the last of 15 children in the family. His son, Samuel L. Dunaway, was born in Marion on April 12, 1895.
In the 1900 census, the Dunaway family was living at 306 S. Market Street. Thomas was listed as a merchant. He and his wife had a family of six children in the home. Children present were Julia 25, Ethel 20, Mable 15, Cleo 10, Bessie 7 and Samuel 5.
By the 1910 census, the children had boiled down to three. They were Mabel 25, Cleo 20, Bessie 16 and Samuel 15. Mabel and Cleo were public school teachers.
Sam graduated in 1913 from Marion Township High School where he was a star tennis player. According to a Homer Butler article, “After graduation from Brown’s Business College he became a bookkeeper for the Mitchell Oil Company and after a brief interim in Chicago with a coal sales firm, he returned to Marion to manage the same oil company until its sale many years later to a national oil distribution system.”
When he registered for the WWI draft in 1917, he was living with his parents at 306 S. Market and employed as Chief Clerk of the Johnston City Washed Coal Company in Whiteash, Illinois. He was described as medium height and build with grey eyes, brown hair and no impairments. He requested an exemption due to his dependent widowed mother.
Although his obituary indicated that he served in the Army during World War I, I found no record of enlistment to date.
He became a charter member of the Marion Rotary Club in 1923, serving as sergeant of arms.
A 1927 Marion directory indicated that he was still living in the parental home with his mother and that he was employed as secretary/treasurer of the Mitchell Oil Company.
Sam married Mazelle Slater on September 8, 1928 in Effingham, Illinois. Mrs. Dunaway was born on February 27, 1897, in Marion, a daughter of Judge W.F. Slater and Zula Reed.
In the 1930 federal census, the couple was found to be living in a rental home at 108 E. Thorn Street paying $40 per month. No occupation was listed.
In the mid-1930’s, during the depression, he and his wife were listed as living in an apartment in Miami, Florida but no occupation was listed. I found indications that they had returned to Marion in 1937 and were living at the parental home on S. Market.
In the 1940 census, Samuel and his wife had started renting at 205 S. Market Street. They were paying $20 a month in rent. Samuel listed no occupation but Mazelle listed an enigmatic U.W.A.O. as her employer which I could not resolve the meaning of.
By 1947, his mother had passed on and his sister, Mabel, was occupying the parental home while Sam and his wife had now purchased the property at 205 S. Market, in which they were living.
Around 1950, he converted one side of his home, 205A S. Market, and started up the Dunaway Insurance Agency. While operating the insurance business, at least two of his female assistants working in his business became engaged and got married. Emma Lou Kobler married Jim Garrison in July of 1962 and Donna Lee Ingram married James Breitwiesser in June 1963.
In the early 1960’s, Sam was active in helping raise funds for the United Way.
Mrs. Mazelle Dunaway, 68, died at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 21, 1965, at the Marion Memorial Hospital. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Past President of the Marion Fortnightly Club, a member of the Marion Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Christian Woman’s Fellowship of the Christian Church and the American Legion Auxiliary.
She was survived by her husband; brothers, Dr. John W. Slater of Detroit, Michigan and Herman Slater of Youngstown, Ohio and niece, Mrs. Robert Enslander of Detroit.
Samuel appears to have operated the insurance business to this date in 1965 when he retired.
He served many years as Secretary of the Williamson County Fair Association (1950’s to early 1970’s) until poor health dictated his retirement from that voluntary position.
He was a member of the Christian Church in Marion, Elks Lodge No. 800, American Legion and a former member of the Rotary Club.
Samuel L. Dunaway who had been ill all of the bi-centennial year of 1976, was admitted to Marion Memorial Hospital in serious condition Thursday, June 8, 1976.
Sam, of 205 S. Market Street, died at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, July 11, 1976, in the Marion Memorial Hospital at the age of 81.
Survivors include two sisters, Mrs. Edgar (Cleo) Craig of Marion and Mrs. Walter (Bess) Ferguson of Marion; two great-nephews, Brian Brosi of Marion and Richard Craig Brosi of Marion and Richard Craig Brosi of Waynesboro, Virginia; one great-great nephew, Clark Brosi of Waynesboro; and one great-great niece, Caren Brosi of Waynesboro.
He was preceded in death by his wife; three sisters, Mrs. Ross Cunningham, Mrs. J.C. Mitchell and Miss Mable Dunaway; and one niece, Mrs. Richard Brosi.
Services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Wilson Funeral Home with the Rev. Earl Miller officiating. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Bob Bradley, Harry L. Crisp, Bill Parks, S.E. Bourland, Max Ragain and Richard Boll.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Wilson Funeral Home. The Rev. Bruce Patton officiated. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Sam’s Notes:
Mabel Dunaway, Sam’s sister was born in 1885 and lived in the parental home up to her death on June 6, 1963. She had been a teacher in the Marion school system for 44 years, but never married.
Elizabeth Brosi, the daughter of Sam’s sister, Cleo, was married to Richard Brosi and died in Pipestone, Michigan on June 20, 1966.
(Extracted from the Southern Illinoisan, 1965, 1966, 1967; Marion Daily Republican, July 13, 1976; Glances at Life by Homer Butler, July 12, 1976; Federal Census Records; Illinois Death Records; Marion City Cemetery Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 01/28/2014)