S.B. Springs Obit

Pioneer Indian Leader Dies in Paris Hospital
Funeral Arrangements for Bailey Spring Not Yet Made
Hugo Daily News

     S.B. Spring, superintendent of the Goodland Indian Orphanage, died in a Paris, Texas, hospital Thursday morning at 3:30 o’clock following an operation. Peritonitis was given as the direct cause of his death. Funeral arrangements had not been completed Thursday morning, although it is considered likely that the final rites will be conducted Sunday, followed by burial in the Springs Chapel cemetery.
     Mr. Spring had been in poor health for about a year. Following a collapse at McAlester several months ago while enroute home from a business trip to Muskogee, he spent some time undergoing treatment in a Paris hospital. It appeared for a time that his condition had undergone a marked improvement. Recently, however, it grew worse and an operation was determined upon as a last resort.
     Surviving Mr. Spring are his widow; a daughter, Mrs. Arthur Caldwell, of Hugo; one sister, Miss Sarah Spring, of Goodland, and two brothers, Sim Spring, of Hugo, and Jess Spring, of Paris.
     Simeon Bailey Spring, was born about 56 years ago near the site of Springs Chapel cemetery where his body {unreadable] will be interred. His parents were Mr. And Mrs. Levi Spring, members of a pioneer Indian family. He grew to manhood and lived practically all his life in what is now Choctaw county.

Early Recognized as Leader
     Mr. Spring was one of the best educated of the Indian citizens and was early recognized as a leader, both among the tribesmen and in the community as a whole. He attended Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee. He was educated for the Presbyterian ministry, and although he never followed that profession exclusively, he was active in the work of the church in this section, particularly as regards its relations with the Choctaws.
     Intensely interested in politics, he was considered an outstanding leader of the Republican party in this county taking an active part in all phases of party affairs. A life-long friend said of him Thursday that he believed that Mr. Spring had not missed a single Republican state convention since statehood.
     For many years he had been identified with management of the affairs of the Goodland Indian orphanage. Seven years ago he became its superintendent. The school made rapid progress under his leadership and soon became one of the most outstanding institutions of its type in the country. Most of the time prior to his assumption of the school leadership Mr. Spring engaged in farm operation.
     Keen regret at his death was expressed generally here Thursday. The consensus of opinion was that Choctaw county had lost a most valuable citizen.