Samantha Jean Hauptman

Samantha and Tiana lived their whole lives in Grants Pass, where they were loved and well-known by everyone with whom they came into contact. Neighbors remember the girls coming door-to-door to introduce themselves. Adults from the school and church communities commented on the girls’ openness and desire to bring people together socially. They touched the lives of so many!

They were active in events at the YMCA, (and Samantha with the Girl Scouts), and Boys and Girls Club activities and were committed to serving in the community. Samantha was an eager mentor in the Reading Buddy program at school. She was always helpful – whether helping to serve drinks or find snails for little cousins.

Tiana lighted up a room. She was always ready with a laugh and you couldn’t help but pay attention to her. Her rapid-fire comments kept people in stitches. She was a reading fool who satisfied her hunger for books at the Allen Dale library. When her Dad returned the most recent one, Polar Bears After Bedtime, to the school Tiana proudly pointed him out to her classmates. She had an omnipresent smile and in a single afternoon could go through four to five clothing changes. Tiana especially liked having Gramma Pauline mess with her hair. She shared the names of all the “men” she was in love with and asked her to write notes for her.

Samantha and her friends were always dreaming about grown-up plans, playing with hair, doing make-up. She was beginning to turn into an adult, but she was still a little girl at heart. She loved spending time with her family friends and charmed them all. She had the biggest dimples. Samantha loved gardening and was concerned that Gramma Pauline’s new house didn’t have enough flowers.

Any time a camera was out, both girls were ready to shine. Outgoing and strong-willed, they were always ready for show time. A favorite activity was “Request Night,” when they would sing whatever song was suggested….and, if you couldn’t come up with one, you got Brittany!

There were always on the go, popping in and out of the house to greet whoever was visiting. The loved to eat and, even when the refrigerator was full, would complain that “there’s nothing to eat!”

The girls enjoyed riding bicycles and playing basketball with their brothers and sisters. They loved conspiring to get their brother Tyler in trouble. He was an easy fall guy for their creativity.

All of the children loved camping, riding the water slides, and enjoying the outdoors. Offered a penny per nut, the two girls collected an entire bucket of acorns as ammunition for the Acorn Wars that figured prominently in every camping trip. After many years of celebrating her birthday on the family’s annual 4th of July trip, however, Tiana was anticipating a day at a water slide park for her 9th birthday.

The girls are survived by mother Stacey Jill Hauptman and stepfather Ronnie Widner; father Joseph Harry Hauptman and step-mother Cheryl; brother Tyler Glen Hauptman and step-siblings
Alisha, Ryan, Jaiden, Desiree, Kevin, and Rebecca; paternal grandparents Tom and Cel Hauptman; step-grandparents Dale and Pauline Spalding, and John and Rene Weimer (all of Grants Pass); maternal great-grandparents Lucille and Virgil Brown (Tigard, Oregon); maternal grandmother Sandra L. Cade and uncle Robert S. Cade-Dahmen (both of Lansing, Michigan); and numerous other aunts, uncles, and cousins.