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Sam was born about 1842 in Wisconsin Territory. (1905 & 1910 censuses) Sam and Frank appear to have been brothers, and it has been suggested that they are sons of "Spoon" Decora.
His Hocąk name was given as WauPaWahHeGooKah. (1905 census) This is for Wapawahiguga, from wapa, "head"; wahi, "to make them, to carry them, to take them"; gu, "to come back"; -ga, a definite article suffix used in personal names. This can be rendered as, "He Comes Back Carrying a Head," a reference to the old practice of taking the head of a slain enemy.
His daughter Emma recalled, “Our family … settled around Madison and Portage and the Wisconsin Dells. My father was a great trapper on the lakes here. He used to catch muskrats and other fur animals and sell their hides. We were nine in our family: six boys and three girls, so when father killed a deer it was a very good thing. We barbecued the meat and dried a lot of it, too, for winter. He caught big fish and we barbecued them also.” (CT 10c)
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Featured National Park champion connections: Sam is 15 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 27 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 18 degrees from George Catlin, 21 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 26 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 19 degrees from George Grinnell, 29 degrees from Anton Kröller, 21 degrees from Stephen Mather, 27 degrees from Kara McKean, 22 degrees from John Muir, 20 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 29 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.