Samantha Lyn Branson

May 4, 2020

Samantha Lyn (Farr) Branson, age 51, of Osawatomie, KS, died April 26, 2020 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. 
She was an educator, a journalist, an editor and first and foremost a Mother, wife, sister and daughter. Most recently she taught English and Literature at St James Academy in Lenexa, KS. 
Samantha was born April 16, 1969 in Gothenburg, NE to Clarence (CT) and Dennice Farr. She grew up on the farm in the shadow of Mt Sunflower. She graduated from Weskan High School in 1987 and earned a music scholarship to Barton County Community College. From there she attended Kansas State University and chose Journalism as her major. She was twice the Editor-in-Chief of the K-State Collegian newspaper while there. She graduated in December of 1992. 
Samantha married Gregory Branson, on the hottest day of the year, in Goodland KS on August 8, 1992. Both she and Greg worked two years in Springfield, MO and then moved to Minneapolis, MN to work for the Star Tribune newspaper. In 2000 they welcomed a son and 3 years later moved to Osawatomie and had a daughter in 2003. Samantha was an editor at the Osawatomie Graphic and 5 years later at the Kansas City Star. 
When the Star began eliminating jobs in 2009, Samantha was one of those let go. She went back to school to get a teaching degree. She studied English Literature at KU and then got her Master’s in Education from Pitt State. She taught in Iola for 3 years before accepting a job with St James Academy High School in 2015. She felt that God had led her there and was a loving and dedicated teacher. 
At St James, Samantha started a tradition of asking students to write one thing that made them happy on a post-it note, which was then stuck on a classroom wall. By the end of the year, the wall was filled with notes of happiness. After she became ill, the students and teachers expanded the Wall of Happiness to the Day of Happiness to honor Samantha. St James has created a “Courage Award” in her name and will honor others annually with the award. 
She loved her work, reading, and attending her children’s activities. She also loved the natural beauty of the prairie wildflowers, the cool nip of the air in autumn and the Colorado mountains. 
Samantha is survived by her husband, Greg, and 2 children, Claire and Garrett of Osawatomie. She is also survived by her Mother, Dennice and Father, CT Farr; a sister, ReNae Farr-Mann, and a brother Thomas all of Weskan. Memorials can be made to St James Academy for their scholarship fund, which was near and dear to her heart.