Tip Sams had twins, an’ a razorback sow, Two dogs an’ a mule an’ a one-room house, An,’ a wrinkled little woman, as mute as a mouse.

TIP raised tobacco, trafficked in skins, Had seven sons in addition to the twins, And every mother’s son, an’ little Jimmy Jude Smoked a pipe all day, an’ the twins both chewed.

BUT TIP kept a-diggin,’ never lost heart The dogs chased rabbits, an’ caught a right smart, The mule an’ the filly both pulled a plow, And they all lived off the milk from the old roan cow.

NOW, I’m near the end of my little romance, The seven sons are sleeping on the battlefields of France, Tip raises tobacco, traffics still in skins, An’ the wrinkled little woman had ‘nother set of twins.

This post World War I poem was written by James T. “Cotton” Noe, who became Kentucky Poet Laureate in March of 1926 by act of the General Assembly. He was the first laureate and held the position to his death November 9, 1953. This is an account of seven sons of the one SAMS family having died in World War I. Perhaps with more research the cemetery or cemeteries where the Sams boys are interred has been identified.