SAMUEL JORDAN JR

It was early September, the seventh day, in the year of our Lord, A.D.1936. The small town of Hempstead, Texas had just increased its population by one. The Reverend and Mrs. Samuel Arthur Jordan were happily welcoming the proud addition to their small family.  It was a boy and they named him after his father, Samuel Arthur Jordan, Jr.  Junior, (as he was affectionally called) was the second oldest to his sister, Wylonn Ruth.  Now to fully understand the unique life of Sam Junior, one would have to reverse the first three letters in the name SAM to MAS. In American English, MAS means masculine; some corresponding synonyms would be: MALE; MANLY; BOYISH; and MANNISH.  Truth be told, Sam Junior was all of the above and then some.  By the time little Junior turned two, the family had moved approximately nine miles south to Waller, Texas, where the Revered had accepted another pastoral assignment. While in Waller, two other sisters would be born and by 1941, the family, (dad, mom and the four little ones) was heading to Houston for a new church assignment.  Almost immediately, the Reverend purchased three adjacent lots located in the Houston Heights and because he was also a carpenter, built a brand new home for his growing family.  In fact, the Reverend would have his quiver FULL; ten more children would now grace the dinner table of the Jordan family from 1942 to 1958.  Sam Junior was extremely masterful in many facets of life.  He helped Dad to build duplexes for rent on our properties and assisted Dad whenever an engine or transmission had to be overhauled; a brake job, plumbing or electrical wiring, roofing, you name it.  I remember when he purchased his first automobile, a 1946 Studebaker, repairing whatever was needed to maintain fine tuning and peak performance. Unfortunately, on a certain trip to Dallas, he was involved in a head-on-collision with a tractor-trailer auto transport who veered in his lane, literally demolishing his Studebaker.  By any stretch of the imagination, Sam Junior should have immediately been taken away from us but was found crawling around on the shoulder of the highway, dazed and in a state of shock; however, there was not a scratch on his body.  He was thrown (no seatbelts back then) through the rear window of the automobile upon impact and placed gently on the side of the road (BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD).  Growing up, I didn't feel that there was anything that he couldn't do, for he was my mentor.  He was a straight "A" student (skipped from the first to the third grade) and could have chosen any one career paths. Without any prior music lessons or marching band experience (we weren't permitted to participate in school sports or attend games) Sam Junior had achieved excellence (self-taught) in the skills of playing guitar, piano, clarinet, trumpet and of course, saxophone.  At one time he was even traveling around the country on a train with The Great Duke Ellington Band. I asked him why did he leave this grand opportunity and he replied, "because of the Duke's rigid practice sessions. You were up at 5am and played until breakfast and then rehearsed at various intervals throughout the day, at Duke's command."  The Duke was a perfectionist.  Sam Junior's primary education (grades 1-6) began when he was five years of age at 23rd Avenue Elementary.  His secondary education (grades 7-9) was completed at Harper Jr. High, in the Sixth Ward and upon graduation from Harper, he attended Booker T. Washington Sr. High (downtown Houston) until the latter part of his junior year. It was at this juncture of his young teenage life when he was violently attacked at school by a knife wielding student (barely missing a main artery in his thigh) and could have lost his life (BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD).  This close encounter must have really shaken him up because not long after that, Sam had an encounter with the Lord.  I vividly recall during a soul saving revival at our home church on West 25th Street.  Sam Junior was tarrying for the Holy Ghost (a COGIC Expression) and when he came up off the floor, he was going forth in the Spirit to the exhilarating joy of the entire church (a type of Jacobian experience). In a few days he would leave for Dallas to live with an aunt but it was decided that the smaller community of Hillsboro, Texas (Dad's hometown) would be more suitable.  Once there, he enrolled in Peabody High School and completed his secondary education, graduating with honors. Upon graduation, he entered the Navy where he was classified as a jet engine mechanic. A few years later upon his discharge from the service, he would return to Dallas to live and work with an uncle (Pastor and Neiman Marcus employee) until his uncle's demise; upon which, he returned to Houston.  In the fall of 1964, I had recently been discharged from the Air Force and my special orders were cut back to Houston where I enlisted.  After a period of brotherly meet and greet, we took residence at the old homestead property.  Sam Junior and I would play various gigs in and around Houston (solo and sax). He had a yellow convertible Cadillac and we were painting the town red.  Thank God that didn't last too long, knowing this was not our upbringing or my calling. At any rate, Sam Junior and I did manage to play a few church musicals and this is where he met his first wife, Helen. Helen was quite a soloist and I believe that the first night they met, he was smitten.  They dated about three months and immediately got married.  To this union were born two children; a son, Kevin and a daughter, Karen. Years later, Sam Junior and Helen would divorce, sending Sam Junior back to Dallas.  Later, he would meet his second wife Rose and once again, in time, their marriage would be dissolved.  Finally, Nurse Francis comes on the scene and, you guessed it, love at first sight.  Sam Junior and Francis remained in a loving relationship until her untimely death several years ago. With the demise of Francis, Sam Junior more or less goes into hibernation and it wasn't long before he is admitted to several senior assisted living facilities, both in Dallas and finally in McKinney, Texas, where he quietly transitioned.  I spoke with him last week on Face-Time (provided by our brother Joseph) and following a final prayer, I told him that I would meet him on the other side of the Jordan.  He nodded ok. Sam Junior was preceded in death by his parents, Reverend and Mrs. S.A. Jordan, a total of six siblings, Ruth, Mary, James, Martha, Deborah and Thaddaeus; and one son, Kevin.  Respectively, he leaves to mourn, his daughter, Karen; three sisters, Sara; Cassandra (Brian); and Rebecca (Eldon); two brothers, John (Cathy); and Joseph (Dorothy); and a grand host of nieces, nephews, relatives and dear friends.  Sam Junior was his own man, he was born a sinner but he died a saint .