Martin Van Sams

          Martin Van Sams, 76, of 200 Ferry Road, Asheville, died Sunday, September 6, 1998, in an Asheville hospital following a lingering illness.
     Mr. Sams was a son of the late Zeb V. and Lucy B. Sams and served as a sergeant in the Army during WW II.  He was a member and former deacon  and Sunday school teacher of Bent Creek Baptist Church.  He was preceded in death by two  brothers, Jack Sams and Zeb Sams, Jr. of Asheville, a sister, Mary Singleton of Gastonia, and a grandson, Nathaniel Martin Ingle of Asheville.
     He was the former owner of Martin’s Sanitary Pickup and Bent Creek Hardware.
     He was a devoted husband and loving father and grandfather and was the husband of Willena L. Sams, father of Tommy Warren and his wife, Gloria, Vanette Baldwin and her husband Steve, and Debbie Ingle and her husband Roy, all of Asheville;  Papa of Donessa, Joelle, Stevanie, Nikki, and Bubba, and Great-Papa of Devin, Donovan, Chase and DeVant’e.  He is also survived by a sister, Helen Candler of Darby, Montana;  three brothers, Johnny Sams of Dallas, NC and Clayton and Steve Sams of Seneca;  and several
nieces and nephews.
     Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm Tuesday at Groce Funeral Home with the Revs. G.H. Shope, Jr. and Danny Epley officiating.  Military graveside rites will be provided by the Buncombe County Veterans Council Memorial Team at Forest Lawn Mausoleum.
     His family will receive friends from 7 - 8:30 pm Monday at the funeral home and request that memorials be made to the American Heart Association, 50 South French Broad Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801.