Above: Two family lines originate from Keith’s mother, Esther Reneker. The paternal family line of Esther's father, Joshua Reneker, can be traced back seven generations from Keith Strait. The family line of her mother, Susan Sampson, can be traced five generations.

WILLIAM READ AND SARAH

The Sampson Line is only traced to Keith’s great-grandfather Sylvester Sampson. However, Sylvester’s wife’s (Matilda) family is traced one more generation back. Matilda’s parents, William and Sarah Read, were of English descent, but were born in West Virginia. Their first six children were all born there between 1841 and 1852, including their second child Matilda. Their seventh, and last child was born in 1859, in Iowa. They moved from West Virginia to Iowa sometime between 1852 and 1859. William and Sarah settled near Osceola, Virginia Township in Warren County.

Above: Norway. Keith's great-grandfather, Sylvester Sampson left Norway at the age of sixteen as a member of the Norwegian Navy.

SYLVESTER SAMPSON AND MATILDA READ

Sylvester is Keith’s great-grandfather and he was born near Oslo, Norway in 1833. He had eight brothers. At the age of sixteen he joined the Navy along with one of his brothers, as was required of young Norwegian men at that time. They sailed to America in about 1858 and Sylvester developed a strong dislike for the sea. When the ship docked in the US (possibly in San Francisco), he jumped ship and did not return. He left his brother on the ship and apparently did not contact his family in Norway afterwards. He travelled far inland and arrived in central Iowa where he met Matilda Read.

Matilda was born in Barbour County, West Virginia in 1842 and moved with her parents to Iowa. Sylvester and Matilda were married near Osceola, Iowa in 1860, and lived on their farm in south-central Iowa. They had eleven children between 1861 and 1887, including their third child, Susan, who was born in 1864. The Sampson Line merges with the Reneker Line when Susan married Joshua Reneker in 1892. Susan and Joshua are Keith’s grandparents.