Auburn Courier, Thursday, December 7, 1899, page 1.
Auburn Dispatch, Thursday, December7, 1899, Pg 4, Col 5.

     Samuel Cornell was born in the state of Maryland, ten miles south of Gettysburg, Pa., on the 29th day of June 1821.  After he had finished the common school, he entered the Gettysburg college of the Lutheran church, where he remained for several years.  His parents and pastor tried to persuade him to enter the ministry of his church by he did not feel called of God, hence he declined.  He taught school in his native state for eight years and followed that profession for several years after coming to Jackson township.  On the 26th day of March, 1850, he was joined in marriage to Miss Mary A. Hawver, and settled in the woods, on the farm which he had purchased the year before, and which he still owns.  By the united and untiring effort and economy of both, they cleared away the forest and developed and improved the land to its present valuable condition.  To Father and Mother Cornel were born six children, two sons and four daughter, three of who are still living,  Wesley who is living in Washington state, Laura who lives in Iowa, and Ella, who lives a half mile north of the old home.  Father Cornell was the youngest of his family of eight children. and was the last to depart this life.  When a young man he became a christian and united with the Lutheran church from which he never departed.  He was an active and honored member in the church of his choice.  For a number of years he was connected with the Lutheran church in Spencerville, Indiana, where he enjoyed many happy and pleasant services; after the organization of the Lutheran church in Auburn, feeling that the church needed his help, transferred his membership where he remained a faithful and esteemed member until death.  He was one of the fathers of the church, always interested in her welfare. He not only gave his time and energy, but he also gave freely of his means to carry on the blessed work for the Master.  He was a man of power and influence in the church, and was thoroughly acquainted with the doctrines of his church, and lived in defense of her precious faith, until transfered to the church triumphant above.  He was a man of clean and virtuous habits, and manly principles, living soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world.  It was his ambition to so live that the Saviour might present him blameless before the throne of God in the closing hour of his life.  Father Cornell was elected as director to Wittenberg college located in Springfield, Ohio, for two successive terms.  Once he represented the district synod as delegate to the general synod, the highest legislative body in the Lutheran church, and several times was he elected as delegate to the district synod by his home church.  He was a man of great intelligence, and was well informed on all the current events of the day; he was a quiet, but useful and noble ciitzen, always taking an interest in county, state and national affairs.  Six years ago he had an attack of th la grippe which racked his system so as to leave him in ill health.  His body began and continued wasting away till he succumbed to  death on last Wednesday morning, November 28, at the ripe age of 78 years, 4 months and 29 days.  Thus another christian man and faithful member of the Lutheran church, another pioneer and citizen of DeKalb county has gone to his rest.  He was a devoted and faithful husband and an affectionate father, always seeking the comfort of his own.  He leaves to mourn his death a wife, three children, thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren besides many other friends. The funeral service was conducted from the Cedar Chapel church on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Dec, 2.  Interment took place in Cedar Chapel cemetery, J.D. Brosy officiating.

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