Cliff Buchan
News EditorIn a construction career that spanned 41 years, there was little that Ira ěSamî Sampson didnít build.
From banks in Montana and libraries in Illinois, to condominiums in Hawaii and restaurants in North Dakota, Sampson built them all.
Sampson, a native of Columbus Township and longtime Forest Lake resident, died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage Wednesday, March 3 at his winter home in Mesa, AZ. He was 74.
He was a young man of 21 when he went to work for Kraus-Anderson Co. in 1950. On his first job he was a carpenter who helped build a recreation hall at St. Bernardís Church in St. Paul.
It was the first of many assignments for Sampson who went on to become a job site superintendent for Kraus-Anderson, one of the countryís largest commercial builders. During his 41 years with Kraus-Anderson, most of his time was spent with the companyís St. Paul division.
Steve Boerboon, a project manager with the firmís St. Paul division, worked with Sampson on a number of jobs and always found the Forest Lake man to have a strong ěwork ethicî and the ability to ěget along with people well.î
ěHe had a real positive personality,î Boerboon said. ěHe was down to earth. He would take a problem and find a way to solve it. He would take a job and get it done.î
The two men spent extensive time together at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, where Sampson was construction superintendent on a new library project. When the library was finished, the school was so impressed with the work that Kraus-Anderson was awarded a second contract to remodel the former library building into offices and classrooms.
It was that kind of work that made Sampson a valued employee, Boerboon said.
During his 41 years with Kraus-Anderson, Sampson worked on a wide range of projects.
In the 1980s, he led a combined force of three Kraus-Anderson divisions in the building of Canterbury Downs, the horse racing track in Shakopee. On most of the job sites where Sampson was supervisor, he led a field crew of 95 workers plus subcontractors needed on the job, Boerboon said.
As a Kraus-Anderson worker, Sampson traveled widely to head up job site crews. One of his biggest jobs was in Hawaii.
For a period that spanned 7‡ years in the 1970s, Sampson was in charge of the construction of three large condominium residential developments on two of the Hawaiian Islands.
ěHe liked the challenge,î said his wife of 53 years, Marie. ěHe used to say he liked to start a project and watch it grow.î
Marie Sampson said her husband turned down a chance to be promoted to the St. Paul office, electing to remain in the field where he was most happy.
ěHe wanted to be in the building end,î she said. ěHe liked working with his hands.î
Beyond work
Beyond work, Sampson enjoyed hunting, fishing and traveling. He was an avid gun collector and also a licensed pilot.
In 1969, Sampson shot a trophy white-tail deer hunting in Saskatchewan. The deer was entered in the Boone and Crocket book.
He was a pilot for a 45-year period and owned three planes during that time, his wife said.
His love of traveling was realized more in 1991 when he retired from Kraus-Anderson. After selling their home in Forest Lake four years ago they spent winters in Arizona and recently bought a home in Mesa. The couple would travel to the Forest Lake area each summer.
Funeral details
Ira Sampson was born on June 28, 1929, the youngest of three sons in the family. He grew up in Columbus Township and attended Forest Lake schools before going to work.
A funeral mass for Sampson was Monday, March 8 at All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Mesa.
A memorial service in Forest Lake is scheduled at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 16 at St. Peterís Catholic Church. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. on March 16.
Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Forest Lake.
In addition to his wife, Sampson is survived by one son, Lon of Wahpeton, ND; one granddaughter, Leah; two brothers Charles and David Sampson of Columbus Township; and many nieces and nephews.
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