Loyd Duane Eppler, better known as Sambo, was born on August 17, 1935 to Omer Lee and Pearl Ellen Eppler (Armstrong) in Lebanon, OK.  He had 9 brothers and sisters that all grew up together in a small home in the heart of Lebanon.  Sambo attended the Lebanon school in his younger years and graduated from Madill in 1953.  In that same time frame, he met Barbara Lou Mitchell and knew that she was his soul mate and that he had to marry her right away.  The only problem was that in Oklahoma, in 1954, the minimum age for a male to marry was 21 and 18 for a female.  But Sambo being very driven and a great problem solver, took Barbara to Gainesville, Texas where nobody knew him and told the Judge that he was 21 years old and that she was 19.  The Judge took his word for it and married them on May 22, 1954 when he was 18 and she was just 16.  Together they raised 3 kids: Russell Duane Eppler (Rusty), Mitch Lemuel Eppler and Monica Rachelle Eppler (Chapman).  Although they didn't have any money, Sambo was determined to be successful and never stopped trying to succeed, which ultimately did.

Sambo worked at a lumber yard in his mid-teens and learned, just enough by watching others, how to build his own house.  So when he was 19, he built his first  home on Lillie Boulevard.  He has made the statement that some of the rafter tails were sticking out too far and he didn't know what to do at the time so he asked the people at the lumber yard and they just chuckled.  So, he made a decision and just cut them off with a saw…problem solved.  He eventually figured it out and went on to build many more homes all over the Texoma area.  Sambo Drive in Madill was one of his development projects that was named after him.  Although he started with Home Building only, he was interested in all types of Construction and tried whatever he could to make a dollar.  Some of the things that he accomplished included: making and packaging cellulose fiber insulation in Lebanon,  starting and owning a concrete manufacturing company, building houses for the Chickasaw Nation, and starting 2 different Manufactured Home dealerships Lebanon Mobile Homes and Wholesale Mobile Homes amongst several other businesses.  He was an inspiration to a lot of people in the business world and loved talking about how he got started and made it to where he was.  One word can't truly describe Sambo but he was passionate, loving, empathetic, driven, bold, kind, rambunctious, creative…and the list goes on and on.  He loved helping others and wanted everyone to do well.  Anybody that asked him for help of any kind always got it.  Sometimes people would just talk about their issues in front him and he would always help them.  Although he was small in stature, he had a big personality and the biggest heart that one could imagine.  He loved people and most of all he loved his wife and family dearly.  Sambo and Barbara Lou were married for almost 72 years which is an achievement that not many people are able to accomplish.  They spent a lot of time together over those years and enjoyed doing many things together such as camping with friends and family, traveling, attending Blue Grass Festivals, hosting family pool parties, going to Church and anything else that involved friends or family.  Sambo also loved to fly.  He got his pilot license and bought several planes over the years.  He built his own airplane hangar and dirt runway in Lebanon that he used all of the time whenever he felt like jumping in his plane and flying. 90 years of stories and experiences can't be summed up in a few words but those who were fortunate enough to know him would probably say that he was a very passionate man in everything that he did and that's what made him who he was.  He was dearly loved by many and will be greatly missed!

Sambo was in the Army from Jan 1956 to Jan 1964 and was very proud to have served.  Sambo was also a member of the Lebanon Church of Christ and afterward the Madill Church of Christ.  He was baptized into Christ in May of 1975 and he loved the Lord with all of his heart.  One of his favorite Hymns was Amazing Grace.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings and his son Russell Eppler (Rusty). He is survived by his wife Barbara Lou Eppler, his children Mitch Eppler and Rachelle Chapman, his Grandchildren  Omer "Duane" Eppler, Amber Joy Eppler, Chad Eppler, Brock Eppler, Weston and Candy Chapman, Jessica and Jonah Douglas and numerous other nieces, nephews and cousins.

Casket Bearers: Duane Eppler, Chad Eppler, Brock Eppler, Weston Chapman, Jonah Douglas and Ashley Brittain