Date of birth: 5 October 1849
Date of death: 18 February 1934
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Samuel Steel was born in Grenada, Mississippi, in 1849

Samuel had felt a call to become a preacher, and began his quest for an education, attending a local one-room school, then an academy in Grenada, and finally, as a conference sponsored student at a school in Memphis. From there he went on to a Methodist college, supporting himself by preaching, and actually on weekends taking over a pastorate in Kentucky from an ill minister. Then he went off to Emory and Henry College in Virginia, serving churches in the locality from time to time.

While he was still a student at Emory and Henry, Samuel was appointed chaplain at the University of Virginia, moved to Charlottesville and completed his education there while serving as chaplain. His second year there he married Mary Susan (Molly) Burns, of Petersburg, Virginia.

After he served out his chaplaincy, Samuel and Molly moved to Richmond, where he became pastor of a thriving church. Ethel, their daughter, was born in Richmond; Edward Marvin came along after they moved to Meridian, Mississippi. From there they moved to Memphis, where two other children were born to them: Christine and Miriam. Then, Molly became ill, and died, in 1889. Amanda, Samuel's mother, took over the housekeeping, after Molly's death. She lived with Samuel in Richmond, Meridian, and Memphis.

Samuel served churches in Louisville and Kansas City before being assigned to McKendree Church in Nashville, where he and his family lived for the next ten years. It was there that he met and married (in 1893) Ella Battle Brevard, whom he always called Miss Ella. They had five more children: one boy (Thomas Brevard), and four girls, between 1894 and 1906.

Eventually, Samuel moved his family to Mansfield, Louisiana, in November 1917, at the request of the Methodist Church Administration. It was his last appointment, and his last move. He served as minister for the church there, until his retirement in 1919. After his retirement, money was raised by the congregation to build a house for Samuel and his family.

After superannuation, Samuel had more time to take up the pen. He wrote "The Sunny Road," stories of growing up in his father's household before and during the Civil War. He wrote, "The South Was Right," and "The Pelican Pulpit: The Christian Conception of the World."

Samuel suffered a stroke, and died nine months later, in 1934. He was 84 years old. His wife, Ella, outlived him another 28 years. Both were buried in the Highland Cemetery, Mansfield.

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