In preface to the autobiography of Sumner Shapard, a biography of his life is offered to further complement his story.
Sumner Samuel Shapard was born on July 8th of 1875, at the New Hope Seminary in Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Choctaw Nation. He was named after his maternal grandfather. During his youth, he was raised and educated at the seminary by his parents, Rev. Edwin Ruthven Shapard and Jennie (Hall) Shapard, and the various teachers. In July of 1883, he moved to Lexington Avenue at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and attended public school with white children for the first time. In October of 1886, he moved with his family to Eufaula, Indian Territory (Creek Nation). Sumner adored Eufaula and fostered numerous friendships, as well as, his first business connection though Charles G. Moore (1863-1946). Mr. Moore came to Eufaula at 24 years of age, in June of 1887, being the first licensed pharmacist in Indian Territory. In October of 1887, Sumner moved begrudgingly with his family to Savanna, Indian Territory (Choctaw Nation). However, for the summer of 1888, Sumner's parents allowed him, at the age of 13 years old, to return to his beloved Eufaula and work behind the counter at Mr. Charles Moore’s pharmacy. As luck would have it, the church stationed Sumner's father at Eufaula, and by October of 1888, Sumner's family moved back to Eufaula, Indian Territory (Creek Nation).
In October of 1889, he moved with his family to Fort Smith where his father Rev. Edwin Ruthven Shapard died on November 16, 1889. At 14 years of age, Sumner was now the man of the family. He worked as a clerk for a variety of people while managing the family rent houses in Fort Smith and attending school when able. In 1890 Sumner was living at 411 Lexington Ave. and working for Dyke Brothers. From 1894-1895 Sumner was working as a clerk for Foster & Co. As a man, he was described as having blue eyes, medium build of 5' 7" with dark hair. He was fondly liked by all, loved by many and possessed the attributes of a perfect Southern gentleman. He was charming, intelligent and austere. He had the trait of responding carefully and slowly to questions and comments and was not quick to respond. He loved telling stories and laughed easily. Interestingly, although Sumner traveled for his job, he never learned to drive, and always employed a chauffeur.
On May 5, 1895 he married Miss Benetta Sanger in Grayson, Texas. Benetta was 18 years old and Sumner was 19 years old when they married. Benetta was born in January of 1876 at Enterprise, Arkansas. Her parents were Stephen Smith Sanger and Emma Laura Bailey Sanger. Her father was born about 1839 in Virginia and her mother was born about 1842 in Arkansas. They were married in 1857 and are listed in the 1860 census as living in the Creek Nation, I.T. In approximately 1877, Benetta’s family moved from Enterprise, Arkansas to Okmulgee, Creek Nation, Oklahoma Territory when she was one year of age. She had numerous brothers and sisters and the Sanger family produced numerous doctors (13 at one time - M.D. and D.D.S.). It is believed that Benetta may have met Sumner while either visiting her brother (Stephen) who was attending medical school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, or when Sumner was in McAlister (which may have been where Benetta was living).
Around November of 1895, Sumner moved his wife, mother and his two brothers Edwin and David to South McAlester, Indian Territory, to operate the Shapard Grocery Company. On July 6, 1896, Sumner and Benetta give birth to their first child, a daughter named Naomi Kertrude Shapard. During the evening of October 7, 1896, Sumner’s three month old daughter died after an illness of about two weeks duration. The remains were shipped to Fort Smith, Arkansas, for interment. In September of 1897 Sumner left the grocery business and moved with his family back to their original home in Fort Smith.
In February of 1898 Sumner's wife gave birth to their daughter, Dorothy Benetta Shapard, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 1900, Sumner was a bookkeeper (accountant) living at 413 Lexington Avenue with his wife and two year old daughter. In 1901, Sumner and Benetta had their last child, a daughter named Jane Shapard. In 1910, Sumner was working as a salesman for Berry-Wright Dry Goods Company. His mother-in-law, Emma Sanger was living with them after she was widowed, and they also had a 14 year old female servant from Ireland at their residence named, Maude Giblin. On April 9, 1910, Sumner’s Mother, Jennie Hall Shapard, died of cancer in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
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| Dorothy Shapard |
After the death of his mother, Sumner took a job as a sales manager with William R. Moore Dry Goods Company, and moved to Memphis Tennessee. He remained in Memphis from 1912 until about July of 1916, when he moved his family to Baltimore, Maryland, gaining employment as a manager of Oppenheim Oberndorf & Co., shirt makers. His daughter, Dorothy Benetta Shapard, attended John Hopkins University in 1923. During this time, Sumner was frequently called to New York City on business, and eventually acquired an apartment there for his convenience while commuting.
Sumner and his family remained in Baltimore until late 1923, after which he moved to Dallas, Texas, and became employed with Reliance Manufacturing Company, shirt makers. The stock market crash of 1929 devastated Sumner's savings, however, he remained employed with the Reliance Company.
On Friday April 3rd, 1931, Sumner’s sister Lizzie Shapard Jaynes was working as cashier at the Garden T Shoppe in Washington D.C. Just before closing time, the store was robbed by two masked men and Lizzie was shot. She was rushed to the Garfield Hospital where she died two days later at 6:15 pm on Sunday April 5th, 1931. Sumner and his brothers, Edwin Jr., and David, attended her funeral.
In late 1934, Sumner developed a heart condition rendering him physically unable to fulfill the requirements of his job. After much discussion a decision was made that Sumner and his wife Benetta would move to Yukon, Oklahoma, where her brother Dr. Paul Sanger, would provide her with employment. Benetta's parents and siblings had been living in Yukon since 1900. Around January 1, 1935, Sumner and Benetta moved to Yukon, Oklahoma. Idleness did not suit Sumner, and upon feeling physically improved, he made a business trip to Dallas. While there, his heart failed and on January 25, 1935, Sumner S. Shapard died in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 59 years old. Sumner was buried on January 28, 1935 in Yukon Cemetery in Yukon, Oklahoma. Benetta Sanger Shapard died in 1962 and was buried next to her husband.
On Friday April 3rd, 1931, Sumner’s sister Lizzie Shapard Jaynes was working as cashier at the Garden T Shoppe in Washington D.C. Just before closing time, the store was robbed by two masked men and Lizzie was shot. She was rushed to the Garfield Hospital where she died two days later at 6:15 pm on Sunday April 5th, 1931. Sumner and his brothers, Edwin Jr., and David, attended her funeral.
In late 1934, Sumner developed a heart condition rendering him physically unable to fulfill the requirements of his job. After much discussion a decision was made that Sumner and his wife Benetta would move to Yukon, Oklahoma, where her brother Dr. Paul Sanger, would provide her with employment. Benetta's parents and siblings had been living in Yukon since 1900. Around January 1, 1935, Sumner and Benetta moved to Yukon, Oklahoma. Idleness did not suit Sumner, and upon feeling physically improved, he made a business trip to Dallas. While there, his heart failed and on January 25, 1935, Sumner S. Shapard died in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 59 years old. Sumner was buried on January 28, 1935 in Yukon Cemetery in Yukon, Oklahoma. Benetta Sanger Shapard died in 1962 and was buried next to her husband.
After Sumner's death, an autobiography was discovered among his effects. The document was written by Sumner in January of 1935, on the Sunday before he returned to work, approximately a week before he died. It stated:
"Well: Here I am, I’m sixty years old, they have been sixty years of active life. They started here in Oklahoma then Indian Territory. As a boy I had every thing a boy could want, a pony & shot gun, dog, fishing tackle, and the broad prairies theming with game of all kinds to hunt over, and virgin streams to fish in. Those were the days! Like every thing else they came to an end.
My father moved to Ft. Smith Arkansas when it was a town of 5 or 6 [thousand] and the seat of the Federal Court with jurisdiction over all of what is now Oklahoma. The famous Judge Isaac Parker was presiding Judge. He was famous principally for having passed death sentence on about 100 criminals, who contrary to present day custom were duly hung. He had the reputation of being a very hard hearted, cruel Judge, but he was not. He was a very gentle, tender hearted man but with a keen sense of duty, and that duty was to see that the law was enforced. Due to this trait of his the whole of what is now Oklahoma was policed by ten or fifteen U.S. deputy marshals, and in spite of its being the refuge of criminals for the entire surrounding states the law was well respected. A contrast to now.
I was raised in the atmosphere surrounding this court and it was full of excitement.
You can see that my boyhood was pretty full, active and interesting.
At seventeen I started traveling, selling groceries in East Oklahoma and West Arkansas most of it by buggy over the picturesque mountains of that section. This may not mean anything to you if you have never seen this country, but I want to tell you there is no prettier mountain scenery in the U.S. and I have seen most of it. To a young fellow with a gun it was paradise, Oh boy!
Later I sold dry goods over the same territory. This period with both lines covered ten or twelve years. At the expiration of it I was made buyer of a large department in the wholesale house I worked for. This meant trips to N.Y. three or four times a year and to other markets.
Several years later I was made Sales Manager and employed and handled about sixty traveling men for one of the largest Dry Goods Houses in the country. This was in Memphis, Tennessee.
After five years here I went to Baltimore as sales manager for a very large house there. My duties carried me all over the United States, and my horizon was very much widened. I spent a big part of my time in N.Y. and finally moved there, with my chief duties looking after the large chain. Jobbing and Department Store accounts, whose buying operations center there. Then the depression came. I had made some bad investments and my money went, but I still had my position, which I kept up to five months ago when my old heart collapsed on me. I fainted while waiting on a customer.
My doctor tells me I mustn’t work strenuously any more. So I get back to the start of my story.
Well: Here I am, I’m sixty years old, after a very active life as I have outlined. I have come back to Oklahoma with my wife, and settled in a small town close to Oklahoma City. We have a small apartment where we can live quietly. My mind is active, my body hasn’t a pain except when I walk to far or exert myself, then the old engine sputters.
I can’t sit in idleness with out being miserable. So what to do? What can a man do when his usefulness in his life's work is gone, and he has been as active as I have. Will some one please tell me?"
My father moved to Ft. Smith Arkansas when it was a town of 5 or 6 [thousand] and the seat of the Federal Court with jurisdiction over all of what is now Oklahoma. The famous Judge Isaac Parker was presiding Judge. He was famous principally for having passed death sentence on about 100 criminals, who contrary to present day custom were duly hung. He had the reputation of being a very hard hearted, cruel Judge, but he was not. He was a very gentle, tender hearted man but with a keen sense of duty, and that duty was to see that the law was enforced. Due to this trait of his the whole of what is now Oklahoma was policed by ten or fifteen U.S. deputy marshals, and in spite of its being the refuge of criminals for the entire surrounding states the law was well respected. A contrast to now.
I was raised in the atmosphere surrounding this court and it was full of excitement.
You can see that my boyhood was pretty full, active and interesting.
At seventeen I started traveling, selling groceries in East Oklahoma and West Arkansas most of it by buggy over the picturesque mountains of that section. This may not mean anything to you if you have never seen this country, but I want to tell you there is no prettier mountain scenery in the U.S. and I have seen most of it. To a young fellow with a gun it was paradise, Oh boy!
Later I sold dry goods over the same territory. This period with both lines covered ten or twelve years. At the expiration of it I was made buyer of a large department in the wholesale house I worked for. This meant trips to N.Y. three or four times a year and to other markets.
Several years later I was made Sales Manager and employed and handled about sixty traveling men for one of the largest Dry Goods Houses in the country. This was in Memphis, Tennessee.
After five years here I went to Baltimore as sales manager for a very large house there. My duties carried me all over the United States, and my horizon was very much widened. I spent a big part of my time in N.Y. and finally moved there, with my chief duties looking after the large chain. Jobbing and Department Store accounts, whose buying operations center there. Then the depression came. I had made some bad investments and my money went, but I still had my position, which I kept up to five months ago when my old heart collapsed on me. I fainted while waiting on a customer.
My doctor tells me I mustn’t work strenuously any more. So I get back to the start of my story.
Well: Here I am, I’m sixty years old, after a very active life as I have outlined. I have come back to Oklahoma with my wife, and settled in a small town close to Oklahoma City. We have a small apartment where we can live quietly. My mind is active, my body hasn’t a pain except when I walk to far or exert myself, then the old engine sputters.
I can’t sit in idleness with out being miserable. So what to do? What can a man do when his usefulness in his life's work is gone, and he has been as active as I have. Will some one please tell me?"
