Garry L. Sampson

Sanborn, Iowa

Memorial services for Garry L. Sampson, age 91, of Sanborn who passed away on Monday, December 1, 2025, at Prairie View Retirement Home in Sanborn. His service will be at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the United Church of Primghar with Pastor Mike Cooper, officiating.

Burial will be at a later date at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Primghar.

Visitation with family will be held after the memorial service on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the United Church of Primghar.

Arrangements are under the care of the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Primghar.

It is with sad hearts that we share that Garry Lee Sampson passed away on December 1, 2025. Garry was born on October 4, 1934, to Margaret (Kramme) Sampson and Daniel Boone Sampson. He was raised on a farm near the edge of Hartley, IA and attended the same school in Hartley from K-12 where he lettered in four sports during his High School years.

In 1953 he was united in marriage to Darlene Joan DeBoom at the Little Brown Church in Nashua IA. They began their marriage on the farm just north of Primghar and lived there until 1961 when he was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department as a police officer. He solved his first case before he even graduated from the academy. During Christmas break he was directing traffic at a busy department store when a woman approached him to state that her car had been stolen. Using his innate detective abilities, it was discovered that the car was not stolen, the woman just came out a different door than the one she had entered.

Garry was blessed with four daughters: Dianne (Larry) Jameson, Barbara (Russell) Krull, Terry (Fred) Kurth and Yvonne (Richard) Verdoorn. While serving on the police department, Garry enjoyed playing extracurricular sports (basketball, softball, archery and trap and skeet) as well as coaching youth – including his daughters - in church league basketball and softball. He was ordained as an Elder in the Presbyterian church. In addition, he and Darlene were sponsors of the college age Sunday night fellowship group.

During his time on the police force, Garry rose from a Policeman I to Detective III in charge of Homicide/Robbery at the North Hollywood Police Station. During his career he received a number of citations for outstanding work from both citizens and the Department.

In 1987 he retired and moved back to the same farm where he and Darlene began their married life. In retirement, he edged back into farming for the next 30+ years including spending winters at Adobe Wells in McAllen, TX. In 2019 he and Darlene moved to Oklahoma for a short time and then returned to Sanborn IA.

Garry is survived by his wife of 72 years, four daughters, two unofficially adopted children (Joel and Kim Tewes), six siblings (George, Earl, Francis, Judy, Lynnwood and Bette), eleven grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren. Garry was preceded in death by his parents, two siblings (June and Darrel) and one grandchild (Sarah Elizabeth Kurth).

Garry will be interred in the Primghar cemetery across from the beloved farm.