Cobb, Felda "Ray"

of Commerce Oklahoma and formerly of Miami died at 4:30 am on Friday, Aug 27, 1999, at the Eastwood Manor Nursing Home in Commerce after an illness. He was 89. He was born May 30, 1910, in Ava Missouri, the son of Walter Cobb and Sadie Heatherly Cobb. He was an Ottawa county resident for most of his life. He worked for Eagle-Picher Company in the lead and zinc mines, and was the oldest living miner. He also worked as a welder at the Baxter Springs Kansas salvage yard. He loved to dance, and would attend dances at the VFW and American Legions in the surrounding area. He married Virginia Pace. She preceded him in death on Aug 25, 1954. He then married Anna Smith Hodges on Apr 23, 1957, in Miami. She survives. Additional survivors include a daughter, Darlene Higginbotham of Springfield Missouri; a son, Paul Cobb of Miami; two step-daughters, Betty Stratton of Miami and Reahonda McCoy of Baxter Springs; a step-son, Mike Smith of Commerce, three brothers, Paul Fred Cobb of Colusa California, Raymond Glen Peck Cobb of Santa Rosa California, and Roy Cobb of Sebastapool California; two sisters, Beulah Whit of Nevada City California and Gertie Norris of Santa Rosa California; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a step-son, Tommy Coulter; two sisters, Ruby McAllister and Lucille Overstreet; and a brother, Loyd Preach Cobb. The funeral service is Monday, Aug 30, 1999, at 2 pm in the Highway Tabernacle in Cardin Oklahoma, with Brother Raymond Clonts officiating. Burial will be in the Greenlawn cemetery, northwest of Treece Kansas, under the direction of the Guilford-Thomas funeral Home of Miami. Pallbearers will be Darren Higginbotham, Brian Dellinger, Mike Stratton, Danny Stratton, Joe Walden, Chris Stratton, and Dudley Stratton. The family will receive friends from 4-5 this afternoon at the Guilford-Thomas funeral Home in Miami.

F. R. Cobb appears in a photo of later years and in center of a photograph of early mining, worked in an Ottawa county Oklahoma mine in 1938. Other miners included ground boss Fred McCarkle, second from right, and Deener Bailey, right, plus two unknown miners. Paul Cobb, son of F. R. Cobb, is also pictured in a photograph, tells about his father, "He drilled all day in the lead and zinc mines. He would put in the dynamite and cut the fuses...at supper he would hear the shots go off...the next day he'd go in and start shoveling." Note: There is much more to the article, and the notation that he was the oldest living miner may not be accurate when checked with many of the other miners..