Samuel Huston Reece (1894 - 1978)

Husband of Florence (Patton) Reece — married 24 Dec 1914 in Claiborne, Tennessee, USA

Descendants

Died 11 Jul 1978 at age 83 in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, United States

Biography

Sam was a Kentucky Coal Miner.

Sam Reece was a part of the United Mine Union Movement.

In 1931, the miners and the mine owners in southeastern Kentucky were locked in a bitter and violent struggle called the Harlan County War. In an attempt to intimidate the family of union leader Sam Reece, Sheriff J. H. Blair and his men, hired by the mining company, illegally entered their home in search of Reece. Reece had been warned in advance and escaped but his wife, Florence (Patton) Reece, and their children were terrorized. That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" on a calendar that hung in their kitchen.

Sources

• Marriage: "Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002"
  Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
  Ancestry Sharing Link (free access)
  Ancestry Record 1169 #1341060 ($, accessed 20 May 2023)
  Sam Reece marriage to Florence Patton on 24 Dec 1914 in Claiborne, Tennessee, USA.
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #36168614 (accessed 20 May 2023)
  Memorial page for Samuel Huston Reece (21 Sep 1894-11 Jul 1978), citing Chris Keck Cemetery, Sharps Chapel, Union County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by don sanford (contributor 47054069).