Age: 30
Served: 5+ years
Before 1961 to May 21, 1966
OFFICER
Sam was born December 29, 1935 in Hamilton County to a French immigrant, Adrien, and Elsie Rouvier of Withamsville. After high school, he joined the United States Army and, during 1959, was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, in TX. Sam married Miss Sherry Marcum, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Marcum, of Amelia, on March 23, 1959 at the Amelia Methodist Church.
After he was honorably discharged, Sam joined the Clermont County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy Sheriff.
During 1962, Deputy Rouvier and Williamsburg Police Chief Robert Vice worked with 65 boys, ages 9 to 16, creating a “Junior Police” program. The squad was organized to prevent vandalism year-round, but principally during the Halloween Season. The officers met with the boys regularly to teach them police methods and physical fitness.
By 1966, Deputy Rouvier was living at 10 Woodruff Lane, in Amelia, with his wife and two children.
INCIDENT
On April 18, 1966, Deputies Harold Kennedy and Rouvier investigated a homicide at the Log Cabin Tavern in New Richmond. The bartender, Curt Barger (22) shot and killed Colonel Woods (34) of Moscow after a scuffle reportedly resulting from Woods refusing to leave at closing time. They charged Barger with first-degree murder.
On Wednesday evening, April 27, 1966, Deputy Rouvier and Clermont County Prosecutor Robert A. Jones were on the way to New Richmond to interview witnesses for a Grand Jury hearing when three horses entered Ohio 132, near New Richmond and struck the deputies car knocking it into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by Donna Duncan (32) of New Richmond. The resulting head-on collision caused injuries to all three and they were taken to Mother of Mercy Hospital in Mariemont.
DEATH
Miss Duncan and the prosecutor were treated and released, but Deputy Rouvier’s head injuries were much more severe. He still in poor condition on Saturday, April 30. Deputy Rouvier died 24 days after the crash on May 21, 1966, at 6:30 a.m., without ever having regained consciousness.
Deputy Rouvier was survived by his wife of seven years, Sherry Ann (Marcum) Rouvier; parents, Adrian Rouvier and Mrs. Elsie Foster; children, Samuel E. Rouvier, Jr. and Rochelle Renee Rouvier; and sisters, Mrs. James Tarvin and Miss Helen Foster. Visitation was held 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 1966 at the Moore Funeral Home in Batavia. Fraternal Order of Police services were held at 8 p.m. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, 1966, at the funeral home and he was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Amelia.
If you have information, artifacts, archives, or images regarding this officer or incident, please contact the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum at Memorial@Police-Museum.org.
© This narrative was further researched and revised on April 28, 2017 by Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer (Retired) Greater Cincinnati Police Museum Director, with assistance from Cincinnati Homicide Detective Edward W. Zieverink III (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Museum Historian. All rights are reserved to them and the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society.