BIRTH: 22 Dec 1885 • Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA
DEATH: 24 Feb 1979 • Matteson, Cook, Illinois, USA
FATHER: Jonas W Larson (1855–1923)
MOTHER: Anna Mathilda Johnson (1864–1918)
SPOUSE: William Edward Sammons (1884–1967)
When Amy M Larson was born on December 22, 1885, in Chicago, Illinois, her father, Jonas, was 30, and her mother, Anna, was 21. She married William Edward Sammons on October 15, 1909, in her hometown. They had two children during their marriage. She died on February 24, 1979, in Matteson, Illinois, at the age of 93, and was buried in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
The Life of Amy Matilda Larson
Amy Matilda Larson was born on 22 December 1885 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, into a bustling immigrant household shaped by the hopes and hardships of the Swedish diaspora. Her parents, Jonas W. Larson (1855–1923) and Anna Mathilda Johnson (1864–1918), had crossed the Atlantic from Sweden seeking opportunity in America’s growing industrial cities. Like many Scandinavian families of the era, they brought with them a deep work ethic, Lutheran faith, and a commitment to family that would define Amy’s life.
Amy grew up in a large and lively home—the eldest of ten children. Her siblings were Robert, Hilda, Clarence, Clara, Julia, Florence, Mabel, Kenneth, and Hjalman. The Larson household was a place of constant activity: older children helping younger ones, Swedish spoken alongside English, and the rhythms of immigrant life shaping every day. Her brother Elmer would later serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, a point of pride for the family.
On October 14, 1909, Amy married William Edward Sammons, a young man of New York and Dutch‑American heritage whose Sammons line traced back to the early colonial era. Together they built a life rooted in the Midwest, raising two daughters who would carry their family story into the next generation.
Their first child, Dorothy Marion Sammons, was born in 1911. Dorothy would later marry Frank Speidel, and the couple remained close to Amy throughout her life. Their second daughter, Jeanne Wilma Sammons, arrived in 1919. Jeanne married Harold Wareham Staggs, linking the Sammons and Staggs families and continuing the long thread of family history that Amy had inherited from her Swedish parents.
During the 1920s, as her daughters grew, Amy became an active participant in the social life of Chicago’s southwest neighborhoods. She was a member of the Chicago Lawn Five Hundred Club, a women’s social and card-playing circle that met regularly for luncheons, games, and community fellowship. A 1927 notice in the South-Side News records Amy as both a prize winner and a future hostess, reflecting her warm presence and the friendships she cultivated within the club. These gatherings were an important part of her life during the years when she and William were raising their family in Chicago.
Amy lived her whole life in the Chicago area, witnessing the city transform from a turn‑of‑the‑century industrial powerhouse into a modern metropolis. She endured the Great Depression, two world wars, and the rapid social changes of the mid‑20th century. Through it all, she remained a steady presence—devoted to her family, grounded in her upbringing, and shaped by the values her parents brought from Sweden.
After William’s death in 1967, Amy continued to live near her daughter Dorothy and grandchildren. In her later years she resided in Flossmoor with her daughter and son-in-law, and eventually at Applewood Manor in Matteson, Illinois. She passed away on 24 February 1979, at the age of 93, having lived through nearly a century of American history.
Amy was laid to rest at Chapel Hill Gardens South, in Oak Lawn, Cook County, Illinois, beside the husband with whom she had shared nearly six decades of life. Her legacy endures through her daughters, grandchildren, and the extended Larson and Sammons families—each carrying forward the story of a woman whose life bridged continents, cultures, and generations.
The following is an excerpt from Staggs Genealogy – Harold Wareham Staggs – His Book
On October 14, 1909, William Sammons married Amy Matilda Larson. Amy’s mother, Matilda, and her father, Jonas (each died 1916), came from Sweden. Amy was one of ten children: Hulda, Elmer (U.S. Navy, WWII), Robert, Clarence, Florance, Edna, Julia, Mable and Kenneth.
Amy was the boss of the house except when Bill would put his foot down, about once a year. When that time came, Bill would say “Amy, shut up! We’ll do it my way”. With that, Amy would, to my disbelief, turn into a marshmallow.
She was the best poker player I ever met. The four of us, Bill, Amy, Jeanne and I would play whenever we got together and I’ve always wondered if she used marked cards or E.S.P., in either case she always won. Jeanne took after her mother and was usually a winner, too.
Bill and Amy had two children: Jeanne and Dorothy. Dot was born October 12, 1911, and married Frank Speidel, who was a civil engineer. They had two boys, Richard William, born December 27, 1936, who married Barbara who had three children by her first marriage, and Jeffery John, who was born June 12, 1941, and had three children, John, Suellyn and David by his first wife, one, Jeffery Frank, by his second, and his third wife had an adopted child, David.
Obituary
The Star – March 1, 1079
Funeral services were held Tuesday for Amy M. Sammons, of Flossmoor, who died Saturday at Applewood Manor nursing home in Matteson. The Rev. Robert Hooker, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Homewood, officiated at the services at Tews Funeral Home. Burial was in Chapel Hill Gardens South, Worth. Mrs. Sammons was born in Chicago Dec. 22, 1885, and had lived in Flossmoor for 13 years. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Speidel of Flossmoor; three sisters; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Heart Association.
Legacy of Amy M Larson
Parents
FATHER: Jonas W Larson (1855–1923)
MOTHER: Anna Mathilda Johnson (1864–1918)
Married
William Edward Sammons (1884–1967). Married October 15, 1909, in Chicago, Illinois
Children
- Dorothy Marion Sammons (1911-2004)
- Jeanne Wilma Sammons (1919-1989)
Documents
- Birth Records
- U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 > Name: Mrs Amy Mathilda Larson; Gender: Female; Event Type: Member List; Birth Date: 22 Dec 1885; Birth Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Church: Bethel Lutheran Church
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 > Name: Amy Sammons; Social Security Number: 346-20-0128; Birth Date: 22 Dec 1885; Issue year: Before 1951; Issue State: Illinois; Last Residence: 60422, Flossmoor, Cook, Illinois, USA; Death Date: Feb 1979
- Marriage records
- Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Marriages Index, 1871-1920 > Name: Amy Larson; Age: 23; Gender: Female; Birth Year: abt 1886; Marriage Type: Marriage; Marriage Date: 15 Oct 1909; Marriage Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Spouse Name: William E. Sammons; Spouse Age: 25; Spouse Gender: Male; FHL Film Number: 1030466
- Death records
- Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988 > Name: Amy M Sammons; Death Date: 24 Feb 1979; Death Place: Cook, Illinois, USA; File Number: 10931
- Find a Grave Death: 1979
- Burial: Chapel Hill Gardens South, Oak Lawn, Cook County, Illinois, USA
- In Memoriam: Amy M Sammons
- Census Records
- 1910 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Cook > Chicago Ward 30 > District 0927 > Amy Larson, Age 14, living with parents John Larson (carpenter, age 44) and Mathilda Larson (age 38) and 3 brothers and 4 sisters.
- 1910 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Cook > Chicago Ward 31 > District 1363 > Amy W Sammons (age 24) living with husband William E Sammons age 25, renting at 6402 Justicia St, Chicago, Illinois.
- 1920 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Cook > Chicago Ward 29 > District 1791 > Amy W Sammons (age 33) living with husband William E Sammons age 35, and daughters Dorthy (age 8) and Jeanne (age 0), owned residence at 333 66th St., Chicago, Illinois. Also, a cousin: Harold Larson (age 18) occupation: Stock keeper at a washing machine company.
- 1930 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Cook > Chicago (Districts 501-750) > District 0582 > Amy W Sammons (age 33) living with husband William E Sammons age 35, and daughters Dorthy (age 18) and Jeanne (age 11), owned residence at 3522 West 60th Place, Chicago, Illinois. Home value $14,000. Also, a border: Adolph Shomka, age 28, occupation: none.
- 1940 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Cook > Chicago > 103-862 > Amy W Sammons (age 54) living with husband William E Sammons age 56, and daughter Jeanne (age 18), owned residence at 3522 West 60th Place, Chicago, Illinois. Home value $10,000.
- Other
Relation of Amy M Larson to Steven Barry Staggs: maternal grandmother
Page last updated April 24, 2026
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