Samella Hampton-Vanmeter was called home to be with the Lord on Friday October 18, 2019. She was born July 22, 1941, in Tuscumbia, AL to the late King Herold and Beatrice Scruggs Bonds.
She accepted Christ at an early age and was a long time member of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist church after moving to Richmond, IN in the late 1960s. She married the late Ernest Lee Hampton in 1958, and five children were born from that union. She later united in marriage to her late Husband, William “Billy” VanMeter.
She retired from Cinram Inc, in 2006. She also worked at Johns Manville for a long period of time.
Samella was a strong Christian Woman who loved the Lord. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. She enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, bowling, shopping, and loved her favorite sports teams the Indianapolis Colts and LA Lakers.
Samella leaves to cherish her precious memory four loving children, Dorothy Hampton-Frazier, Centerville, OH; Kenneth (Mahalia) Hampton Radcliff, KY; Barry (Karen) Hampton Richmond, IN; Djuana Thompson, Lewisville, TX; Stepson Julian VanMeter, Troy, OH. Sisters: Josephine Brown Evansville, IN; Rosa Lee Thurston Vallejo, CA; Patsy Cooper Evansville, IN. Granchildren: Nerresa Cordova; Nina Frazier; Nicole Frazier; Tanisha (Keyon) Thompson; Gregory Hampton; Tiffany (Derrell) Nicholas, Darwin Hampton; and Tyler Thompson. Great Granchildren: Shalese Cordova, Gzeonie Hampton, Zariah Hampton, Akylah Hampton, Zakya Thompson, Dajmyah Hampton, Gabrielle Hampton, Kingston Thompson, Ebonni Moss, Ayden Nicholas, Liliana Hampton, Zaidyn Hampton.
Amongst a host of other friends and relatives Samella leaves these special nieces and nephews to share in her legacy: Jim (Alice) Deloney, Della Deloney, Debra (Clarence) Bee, Reginald Brown, Marilyn (Byron) Robinson, and Jackie Webster.
Samella was preceded in death by her parents, husband; two brothers, William Bonds, Aaron Bonds; son Charles Edward Hampton; Stepson William Emerson VanMeter; two grandsons Giovanni Cartez Hampton, and Dajmarko Donte Hampton.