Samuel Lamar Owen

After graduating from Central High School in 1951, he enlisted in the Army to pay for college. After being honorably discharged from the military, where he served in a M.A.S.H. unit in Korea, he enrolled at David Lipscomb in Nashville. He excelled in campus competitions

including climbing a greased pole and winning the pie eating contest while working on his B.A. in Biblical Studies. There he met Betty Crossman from South Portland, Maine. They were married in Maine, in the summer of 1959 and then went back to Lipscomb to finish his degree.

Our dad and mom always had the hearts of missionaries. If dad wasn't preaching full-time for a congregation then they were planting churches or preaching for small congregations who couldn't afford a full-time minister. Later in life he and our mom had a busy 'encouraging cards'

ministry. He was a very hands-on dad, which is very normal now but not so much in the 60's & 70's. Every Saturday morning was spent going to the library, he taught us to tie our shoes and paid us a quarter for each shoe when we had mastered it, to dive American Indian style

off the side of the pool, swim, ride a bike, type, cook, taught us chess then held family competitions, we learned the books of the Bible and then he cemented that knowledge by having scripture finding contests on long car rides, took us camping, taught us to drive a car and then how to take care of a car.

He also involved us in his ministering to others but always put his family's needs before his ministry - we were never the typical PK kids as he 'talked the talk and walked the walk'. He showed us the way to have our own relationship with God and then stepped out of the way so we could make it our own. 'And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord' Eph 6:4

Sam was preceded in death by his beloved bride of 51 years, Betty, his father Robert Frank, Sr., his mother Nina Martha Kate Pennington-Owen, his month old 3rd born daughter Rebecca Grace, his 30 year old 2nd born daughter Laurie Jane, his grandaughter Bonnie and his grandson Tyler. He is survived by his daughters Kathy, Martha, Annie and Stephanie, his sons Mark, Matthew and Sam Jr., his grandchildren Angel, Jessica, Afton, Krista, Fiona and Gabrielle, his great grandchildren Dylan, Myah, Tyliana and Tylique and by his older brother Robert Frank, Jr

.Funeral Services will be held Sunday January 8, 2010 in the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home with Minister Raleigh Wooten officiating. Interment will be 12:30 Monday in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1-3 Sunday. Arrangements under the direction of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist-East Chapel, East Ridge, TN.