SAMUEL W. HOOVER was born April 16, 1837, near Liberty, west of Dayton, Ohio, and thirty years of his life were spent in that vicinity as a farmer.
January 26, 1857, he was married to Catharine Basore. To them were born three sons —Anthony Webster, Oliver Perry, and William I. T. Anthony died in infancy; the other two and the mother survive, and the latter occupies the family residence on the West Side, Dayton.
In 1871 Mr. Hoover entered into partnership with J. W. Gaines in the nursery business, at Kinsey, Ohio, the two previous years having been spent in the employ of Kinsey & Gaines. Ten years later they were able to purchase the present fine site on the West Side, known as Star Point. To this place the plant was moved in August, 1879. The firm was incorporated into the Hoover & Gaines company in January, 1882, and of this company Mr. Hoover remained the president until his death. He was president, also, of the Mathias Planing Mill company. This change marked the end of his active business life. He had entered the ministry of the Brethren church in August, 1882, and this was the beginning of the third period of his life—first a farmer, then a business man, and last a minister of the gospel. Although now well advanced in years, he took into the pulpit the energy of youth, and an indomitable spirit. His voice gave no uncertain sound, "growth," "progress," "development"—these were the key-words of his sermons. He saw clearly the needs of his church in missionary and educational lines. He embraced these causes whole-heartedly and set to work to create sentiment in favor of advancement. His active ministry was spent as pastor of the West Dayton Brethren church. The pastoral duties required much time, but he gave all absolutely without compensation, and contributed regularly to the church needs beside. In the church council he was prompt and fearless in asserting the right of individual opinion. He made no boast of his independence, yet in the highest sense was independent. If for the time he submitted to the judgment of others, in spirit he never yielded the cause he sought to advance. Whatever were the reforms he advocated, whatever were his failures in judgment or expedients, never can it be said that he contended for anything unworthy.
He was chief in organizing the Brethren's book and tract work. The general conference located it at Dayton, Ohio, but without any means to begin the work. A few solicitors were appointed to secure contributions in the churches of the brotherhood, some of whom refused to act at all, others did but little, while the majority cried failure, but he secured a sufficient sum from friends outside the fraternity to print a few tracts; and in five years the endowment fund reached over $50,000. He was president of the institution until its consolidation with the general mission board in 1894, whereupon he became a member of its executive committee and subsequently the board placed him in charge of the mission's large orange farm in California. He served one year also as president of the Nurseryman's Protective association. One of the fundamental principles of faith of his brotherhood, is, that the members do not use the civil laws against each other. Their differences are adjusted among themselves on the basis of Matthew, xviii, or by arbitration, and many were the times that he was called to adjust some unpleasant case in family or church, and rarely did he fail to reach an amicable settlement. The day previous to his death was spent in thankless work of this kind. The case was aggravated, but he returned home that evening with a happy heart because he had brought peace to an unhappy family. His strength was almost exhausted, yet in this condition he dared to prepare for the morrow's services, which proved to be too much for his mortal powers.
Rising from poverty to wealth did not close his heart to the needs of the unfortunate. He gave liberally and no one was ever turned from his door hungry. He gave a handsome endowment to the missionary interests of the church, and aided five colleges in all. He had the ability to make money, and no doubt would have become wealthy, if he had not left business for the church's work.
He had a large circle of friends, who will remember him for his genial social qualities. Children were his fast friends, in whom he took great delight. With all his social qualities he was not a home man in the full sense of the word, but withal took a pardonable pride in his family. His active life either took him from home, or he spent it in reading, study or attention to other duties. If for these reasons his home life was imperfect, yet his best influences were not lost in his children—both sought eagerly a college education, which he gave them, and both entered the ministry of his church. When he saw clearly a principle involved, he contended firmly for it and the triumph of the cause was a vindication of his purposes. It was his delight to preach, and he sought the opportunity, though he well knew that he was no sermonizer. Most men would have considered that old age had set in when he entered the ministry, but he entered upon that sacred calling with the vigor of youth. What he lacked in manner he gained in practicability, for if he was not earnest and practical he was nothing. He had no teachers, he imitated none, his methods were his own. During the earlier years of his ministry he conducted revivals during the winter season, and met with fair success. No preacher is equally strong in all lines, so he gave up revival work, after becoming a member of the general missionary board, finding that work more suited to him.
The one word which expresses best the sum of his characteristics, is action. He did nothing slowly, and knew not how to conserve his powers. He would press on to the point of exhaustion if he saw that anything depended upon him. He was always a prominent figure on the street, because of his quick step. His outward activity was the reflex of a life within. He lived and worked faster than most men, and thus reached his end before the allotted length of life. He was not great as men look upon greatness, but he filled an important position, and was a leader among his people.
He was not overtaken by old age or infirmity. He was not ripe for the grave. He was pressing on with indomitable will into larger usefulness. He had often expressed a desire to die in active work, but never did he suppose that his would be a tragic end—not to say sacred, for God had erected a pulpit for his death-bed. On that last Sunday, March 10, 1895, he preached with unusual energy in the morning. The afternoon was spent in study for the evening service, upon which he entered somewhat weary, but with the energy and will that were so characteristic of him. His text was, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap." As he was nearing the end his words became prophetic, "One by one we are passing over," and in an instant his great soul stepped into the eternal world. Two weeks later, after the return of his eldest son from the university at Leipzig, Germany, his body was laid away in the family burying-ground.
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