New Deal programs through the U.S. House.On the personal side, Sam Rayburn was briefly married to Metze Jones, the sister of Rep. Marvin Jones of Amarillo. They were married in October of 1927 and divorced about 10 weeks later.On November 16, 1961, Samuel Rayburn died from cancer of the pancreas. Over 30,000 people crowded into Bonham for Sam's funeral. Congress sent a delegation of 105 members and three of the eight presidents Rayburn worked with were also present. They were President Kennedy, former President Truman, former President Eisenhower, and future President Johnson.Most of Sam Rayburn's estate, which included a 325-acre ranch near Ector, 927 acres near Ivanhoe and 125 acres that surrounded his Bonham home, became the property of the Sam Rayburn Foundation. Today, there is a Sam Rayburn Library and Sam Rayburn House Museum both in his home state of Texas. He is also the namesake of one of the three House office buildings in Washington D.C.From humble beginnings, Sam Rayburn rose to become one of Texas', and the United States', greatest statesmen who will forever leave an impression in American history....
