Funeral service for Sampson Tatum Sr. will be at 11:30 am Monday, June 11, 2018 in the New Post Chapel, Fort Sill, Oklahoma with Chaplain (MAJ) Eric Dean, Fort Sill, Oklahoma officiating.

Burial with military honors will be in the Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

The family will greet friends Sunday afternoon from 4pm until 5pm at the funeral home.

Sampson Tatum Sr. of Lawton, passed away Thursday, May 31, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.  He was one of fifteen children, born to Grady Tatum Sr. and Bertha Tatum in Malvern, Arkansas on July 26, 1951.  Sampson graduated from Malvern Senior High School and was drafted to the United States Army in 1971 where he served as a combat medic.  Sampson later transferred careers to Material Management still serving the Department of Defense, until he retired from the Federal Government in 2016.  Sticking to his beliefs in continued learning, he received an associate's degree in one of his true passions automotive services, from Central Texas College.  Most recently to prove that you can truly never know it all he has continued to attend the Vocational Technology School, focusing on auto-body repair and painting.

Sampson accepted Christ at an early age at Rockport Missionary Baptist Church in Malvern, Arkansas, where he also ministered as a deacon.  In 1971 he was ordained as a minister at New Bethel Baptist Church.  He was most recently a member of New Post Chapel in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he served as an usher and parish council vice president.

Sampson was united in matrimony to Theresa Ann Detor on January 1, 1978.  To this union, three children were born, Sampson Tatum Jr., Christel E. Bailey, and Gregary D. Tatum.  Sampson had a passion for working on cars, watching sports, fishing, and bowling.  The past few years he even enjoyed dipping his toes in the fantasy football pool, as long as he was winning of course.  Something he really looked forward to and was proud of being a part of was participating in the living last supper and the passion play performed at Wichita Mountain Wild Life Refuge.  He enjoyed cooking for the holidays and different functions, often preparing enough food to feed an army even if it was only a handful of people.  However the thing he enjoyed most of all was spending time, talking, and skyping with his grandchildren.

Sampson was preceded in death by his mother and father, Bertha Tatum, Grady Tatum Sr., four brothers, Clarence Tatum, Theodis Tatum, Robert Tatum, and Joe Tatum Sr., three sisters, Liza Tatum, Classie Tatum, and Linda Tatum. He leaves to cherish his memory, wife, Theresa Ann Tatum; three children, Sampson Tatum Jr. (Jennifer Filetto), Christel Bailey (Michael Bailey), and Gregary Tatum (Angela Tatum); six grandchildren, Schuyler Bailey, Damian Smith, Ian Bailey, Caleb Jamal Tatum, Lia Bailey, Eli Bailey; three sisters, Shirley Wilson (Riley), of Hawthorne, CA, Lula Hooks, of Los Angeles, CA, and Bertha Tatum, of Inglewood, CA; four brothers, Grady Tatum Jr. (Mildred), Louis Tatum, lcum Tatum, all of Cleveland, OH, and Windell Ray Tatum (Jacquelyn), of Malvern, AR; mother in law, Kathleen Detor, of Mexico New York; four sister-in-laws, Olie Vera Tatum, of Walkertown, NC, Kathy Tatum, of Cleveland, OH, and Jami Tatum, of Fontana, CA, Donna Vesta, of Mexico, New York; three brother-in laws, Douglas Detor, of Texas, Darrell Detor, of Orlando Florida, Duane Detor, of Mexico, New York, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.