Richard's Daughter~~Samantha Vance

Hello everyone, I am Samantha, Richard's middle girl. My full name is Samantha Lousie Vance. I currently live in Missouri. I'm currently not married but live with my boyfriend of 8 years, Nathan Abrams. I have two children, one boy and one girl. I was born in August at Hamburg, Iowa. My son is Kaiden Richard Vance (named after his grandfather). He is 10 years old. My daughter is Natasha Jeanne Abrams. She is 3 years old.


My older sister's name is Angela Sue (Vance) Hunt. She was born in January at Hamburg, Iowa. She is married to Roger Hunt. They live in Missouri. She has 3 children: 1 boy and 2 girls. Her son Daniel Lee Hunt is 11 years old. Her daughters are Makenzie Grace Hunt is 4 years old and Elizabeth Rose Hunt is 3 years old.

My younger sister is Barbara Jeanne (Vance) Deardorff. She was born at Hamburg, Iowa. She is married to Stacey Deardorff. They live in Missouri. She has 2 step kids and 2 of her own. Her step kids are stepson Kiley Deardorff and stepdaughter Salina Deardorff. Her son is Brendon Arthur Deardorff and daughter Sasha Marie Deardorff.

My mother's name is Sandra Kay Goodwin Vance. She was born in Maryville, Missouri. Her and Richard were married on March 20, 1978 in Glenwood, Iowa.

This picture is of my children Kaiden Richard and Natasha Jeanne. They were 9 and 3 in this picture taken in August of 2008.

If anyone has any questions please ask I'll answer them to the best of my ability.

Constancy of Home

Manassa is a small community just one mile square. Growing up in Manassa was wonderful because our ward was something I could count on. The church was a place I went to worship together with my family, but it was also someplace that we went to enjoy our extended family and our neighbors. Fast Sunday, we would gather fast offerings. We attended Primary, Sunday School, Mutual, and Scouts together.

The old two story chapel is the backdrop for our family picture that appears on the Dunn BLOG. I remember how the basement would fill with water in the summer when the irrigation water was brought into town and the surface water level would rise. That chapel wasn't big enough to hold all of the church activities so we also had a Relief Society building, an opera building, a scout building and a Bishop's building. Eventually, we got a new building and we worked together as a ward and community to raise the funds and to build the building.

It wasn't the buildings that held the ward together, it was the people. The Bishop that I associate with my childhood is Donald J. Jarvies. His counselors that I remember were Boyd Brady and Tommy Rogers. They were all kind men. Don Knight was our scout master. I don't believe we appreciated him as we should have. He put a lot of effort into teaching us and preparing us for manhood. Cletus Gilleland was the bishop when I was getting ready to go on a mission. Denny Harmsen was my seminary teacher. Marilyn Harmsen and Lena Sowards were my piano teachers.

Neighbors in Manassa had a part in supporting each other in raising children. I remember milking cows for Dorothy and Shelton Sowards. We were grateful for that opportunity. The neighbors helped us put siding and roofing on our home in Manassa before Mom and Dad returned from their mission. When Dad passed away, Dion Jarvies called me and gave me the news and consoled me. I knew without a doubt that she cared for our family.

More than anything, I am grateful for the extended family in Manassa. The aunts, Elma, Doris, Hazel, Ethtel, Ruth, and Frances were all available to help us. Uncles Elmer and Edgar Dunn were my home teaching companions. They both set wonderful examples for me. I grew up with cousins that I loved and respected. Jack, Laraine, Pat and Mary Lyne were good friends.

The roots that I put down in Manassa are strong roots. I am grateful for my home town, my home ward and for the foundation built there for me.