Lockley, Fred. "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the Sea." Vol. 2. S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928. p. 145 SAMUEL E. BARTMESS Among the citizens of Hood River whose individual efforts have not only gained for them well merited prosperity, but have also contributed very materially to the development and progress of the community, stands Samuel E. Bartmess, who is the pioneer merchant of Hood River and the dean of the funeral directors of this locality, in which business he has been engaged for over thirty-eight years. Mr. Bartmess was born at Dayton, Tippecanoe county, Indiana, on the 15th of September, 1853, and is a son of Oliver Cromwell and Sarah (Clark) Bartmess, the former having been born in Maryland in 1819 and the latter in Ohio in 1822. The father owned a fine farm in Indiana, on which he lived for over fifty years. Both parents are deceased, the mother dying in Indiana in 1893 and the father in Hood River, Oregon, in 1906, at the age of eighty-seven years. They were active members of the United Brethren church. They had four children, namely: Sophia, who was the wife of Dr. J. H. Crouse and died in 1869; Martha, who is the wife of Dr. L. T. Strouther, of Kansas City, Missouri; Samuel E., of this review; and William Francis, who lives on the old homestead in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Bartmess, out of the kindness of their hearts, also reared and educated five other children. Samuel E. Bartmess attended the public schools and entered Otterbein University, at Westerville, Ohio, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1879. After his marriage, in 1880, he bought a farm at Dayton, Indiana, to the cultivation of which he devoted his attention for ten years, and then, in 1890, came to Hood River, Oregon, at which time the town had a population of but two hundred and seventy-five. During his first summer here he was employed as a clerk in a general store and in the fall of that year he opened a furniture and undertaking establishment, the first one in Hood River. This proved a successful venture and in 1892 he bought a lot on Oak street, on which he erected a store building. He has followed that line of business here continuously to the present time and during this period has commanded his full share of the local patronage in his line. In 1925 he built a new mortuary, with modern equipment, including a limousine hearse, and is prepared to render the best possible service. He is thoughtful and painstaking in his regard for the comfort and interests of those who require his services and is well qualified for the exacting business which he is so successfully conducting. On January 27, 1880, Mr. Bartmess was united in marriage to Miss Elda Crouse, who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and is a daughter of Dr. David H. and Rachael (Baker) Crouse, the former having been born near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Indiana. Dr. Crouse was a pioneer physician at Dayton, Indiana, where he engaged in the practice of his profession for forty years, or to the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1884. He was a prominent supporter of the republican party in his state and served two terms as a member of the Indiana legislature. He was married twice, first to a Miss Geiwix, to which union were born three children, all of whom are deceased. To his union with Miss Baker were born two children, Meigs, who was a minister of the Gospel, but later became superintendent of the Children's Home on Ninth street, Cincinnati, Ohio, and held that position for forty years, and Mrs. Bartmess. The mother of these children died in February, 1865. The Crouse family was closely related to "Barbara Frietchie," whose name was Miss Nannie Crouse. Mrs. Bartmess graduated from a Presbyterian seminary at Logansport, Indiana, in which she specialized in music, and since coming to Hood River has always been very active in church and con~munity work. Mr. and Mrs. Bartmess have five children: Earl Kumler, who lives in Portland, Oregon, is married and has two children, Carrol K. and Myron; Meigs W., who graduated from the Oregon Agricultural College and took a postgraduate course in Purdue University, at Lafayette, Indiana, is now with the Westinghouse Electric Company, at Springfield, Massachusetts, is married and has two children, Meigs, Jr., and John Edward; Sally Aldine, is the wife of W. B. Small, of Multnomah, Oregon, and has a son, Robert, and daughter, Elda Marie. Marie Louise, who was employed for eight years as teller in the Butler Bank at Hood River, is the wife of W. L. Marshall, of this city; and to them was born one son, Ned Larison. Clair Learning died in 1894. Both of the daughters received good educations and Mrs. Small teaches music. Mr. Bartmess is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is a past noble grand, and Mrs. Bartmess belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star, in which she is a past associate matron and is an active member of the Women's Relief Corps. Mr. Bartmess was one of the organizers of The Mazamas, which was instituted on the summit of Mt. Hood, and is a social organization composed of those who have made the ascent of the mountain. Mr. Bartmess is now a republican and has long been active in matters affecting the welfare of his community, having been a member of the first city council on the organization of the municipality in 1895, and has also served several terms as a member of the city board of education. He has been a consistent advocate of good schools and improved roads and gives his earnest support to every measure that is calculated to be for the public good. He is kindly and generous in his relations with his fellowmen. He has written and published in the local press some very interesting and valuable contributions to the historical annals of Hood River, particularly descriptive of conditions and events in early days, and has also written some very fine verse, descriptive of the famous Columbia River and Hood River country. He and his wife are active members of the Riverside church and stand for all that is best and most uplifting in the life of their community. Deservedly popular throughout their wide acquaintance, they command the sincere respect of all who know them. Submitted to the OR. Bios Project in September 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Oregon Biographies Project. The submitter has no further information on the individual featured in the biography.