Lewis will be remembered for service

Leader Staff Report editor@grahamleader.com Graham is mourning the death Thursday of Samuel Odis Lewis, a World War II veteran and oil and gas producer who left a tangible mark on the community. Lewis, born April 25, 1925, came to Young County as a toddler and lived here most of his life. “I grew up with him out at Bunger,” said Guy Farquharson. “He had it pretty rough growing up out there in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Those were hard times. We were friends, we hunted together, went to parties together.” At age 18, Lewis joined the Navy, spending almost two years in the Pacific commanding a Higgins boat, a type of landing craft used to take troops to shore and unload them. He was active in the campaigns in the Solomon Islands and Guam. Wayne McCallum, Young County Veterans Service Officer, knew Lewis over the years. “Odis was kinda unique, he was a good guy,” McCallum said. “ He was in my office one time, kinda opened up a little bit, telling me about the Higgins boat… he was 18 years old during the invasion (of Guam). He told me, ‘I saw things there that no 18 year old should’ve ever seen.’” In December 1945, Lewis returned to the U.S. and was honorably discharged in February 1946. He returned to Young County but decided to reenlist in the Navy in 1947 and was again honorably discharged in September 1951. The Korean War had taken place during that time span, but Lewis was busy with a number of duties, including transporting bomb scientists to Eniwetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where he witnessed two atomic bomb tests. After he was discharged, he worked for a local company for 23 years and later owned and operated his own oil and gas company, Ole Incorporated, for 24 years. Lewis then liquidated his assets in Ole Incorporated and retired from the industry. But Lewis’ most lasting legacy was his campaign he organized to construct a monument honoring Young County veterans. The monument, which holds the names of 5,500 Young County veterans etched in granite, is sited on the downtown Square in front of the County Courthouse. Lewis’ name is mentioned on the monument twice, for his World War II and Korean War-era service. “I donated to this memorial, and if it weren’t for Odis, we wouldn’t have a memorial.” Farquharson said. “I opened the first automatic car washes in Graham … and every time I looked out my door, here comes Odis with his hand out, looking for some money for that thing!” Lewis was noted for his homemade plum jelly, which graced the tables of many in Graham. He sold the jelly door-to-door all across town to raise money for the monument. He later switched from making jelly to creating miniature pies and donating the proceeds to the homeless. “I quit making jelly and started pies,” he told the Leader in 2014, adding that staying busy was something he enjoyed. Lewis out-lived his wife, two sons and a daughter. He is survived by two granddaughters, a grandson, two siblings and three great-grandchildren.