William Francis Cobb1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 9296, (1891 - 1965)
FatherGiles Akin Cobb4,5 (15 Mar 1857 - 7 Aug 1923)
MotherAdeline M. Cash4,6 (19 Sep 1864 - 22 Mar 1894)

Key Events:

Birth: 6 Jul 1891, Kuttawa, Kentucky7,8,9
Marriage: 13 Mar 1911, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, Nellie Almira Brownhill (Jul 1892 - 4 Mar 1912)10,11
Marriage: 3 Oct 1914, Guthrie, Logan Co., Oklahoma, Bessie Vera Christner (16 Feb 1897 - 21 Jun 1979)12,13,14
Death: 26 Dec 19659,15
Burial: Cashion Cemetery, Cashion, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma16
AncestryThe Cobbs of Pawlet, Vermont

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     William Francis Cobb was born on 6 Jul 1891 in Kuttawa, Kentucky.7,8,9
     His mother died on 22 Mar 1894, when William was 2 years old.17 He appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Kuttawa, Lyon Co., Kentucky, in the household of his father, Giles Akin Cobb, and stepmother, Mary Dean Adamson.5
     He probably moved to Carmen, Oklahoma, with his father and step-mother when they moved there 9 Apr 1905. But by 1910 he had moved to Kansas.4 William appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Leavenworth, Leavenworth Co., Kansas, in the household of William Francis Cobb and Ruth U. Garrett, his father's brother and his wife.18
     He was a salesman in retail goods, likely in the store of his uncle William, in whose home he was living, in 1910.19
     William married first Nellie Almira Brownhill, daughter of Harry N. Brownhill and Leah E. Kendig, on 13 Mar 1911 in Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, with Rev. H. S. Church officiating.10,11
     William and Nellie moved to Tucson, Arizona, a week after their marriage. They did no stay long, as they were back in Leavenworth, Kansas, before the end of the year when their first child was born.20
     His wife died on 4 Mar 1912 at 200 North Broadway, Leavenworth, Kansas.21,22
     After the death of his wife, his infant son William went to live with his grandfather, and his second wife, Mary Dean Adamson. When William re-married it was decided that the child would remain with his grandparents.23,24
     William evidently moved to Oklahoma after the death of his wife. In any case that is where he settled after he remarried.
     William married second Bessie Vera Christner, daughter of George Washington Christner and Mabel E. Jones, on 3 Oct 1914 in Guthrie, Logan Co., Oklahoma, after her foster-mother consented because she was under age, with county judge J. C. Strang officiating.12,13,14
     He become a farmer after he moved to Oklahoma.25,26 He registered for the draft for World War I on 5 Jun 1917, while living in Navina, Logan Co., Oklahoma, reporting he was employed as a farmer.2
     William and Bessie appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 27 Jan 1920, reporting that they rented their home. Their son Colys was listed as living with them.27
     William and Bessie appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 16 Apr 1930, reporting that they rented their home, and owned a radio. Their children Colys, Elizabeth and Juanita were listed as living with them, as was John L. Crum, recorded as William's father-in-law, but was actually Bessie's foster-father.28,29
     William and Bessie appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 13 Apr 1940, reporting they rented their home, for $5 per month, and that they had lived in the same house in 1935.30
     In 1940 he was a foreman for Works Projects Administration road work, reporting he had worked 48 hours the last week of March, and 52 weeks the prior year, earning $1,200.31
     William registered for the draft for World War II on 26 Apr 1942, while living at Cashion, Oklahoma, reporting he was a farmer in Cashion.3
     William died on 26 Dec 1965 at age 74.9,15 He was buried in Cashion Cemetery, Cashion, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.16

Children:
     Child with Nellie Almira Brownhill:

  • William Wallace Cobb32,33,34 (4 Dec 1911 - 6 Jun 1975)

Children:
     Children with Bessie Vera Christner:

  • Colys C. Cobb27,28 (29 Aug 1916 - 7 Oct 2000)
  • Elizabeth V. Cobb28 (13 Feb 1920 - 23 Mar 2002)
  • Juanita Oleta Cobb28,3 (10 Oct 1922 - 13 May 1935)

Citations

  1. [S2803] Giles A. Cobb household, 1900 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows name as Wm. F. Cobb.
  2. [S3031] William Francis Cobb, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.
  3. [S10135] William Francis Cobb, Selective Service Registration Card, World War II, Fourth Registration.
  4. [S2975] G. A. Cobb Prominent Churchman, is Dead, undated clipping.
  5. [S2803] Giles A. Cobb household, 1900 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky.
  6. [S2803] Giles A. Cobb household, 1900 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows the child as son of Mary's husband, but that they had only been married 4 years, so apparently his previous wife was the mother.
  7. [S2803] Giles A. Cobb household, 1900 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows month, year, as 1892, age 10 and state.
  8. [S3031] William Francis Cobb, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, shows date, with year as 1881, town, and state.
  9. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809321, William F. Cobb, shows date, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  10. [S7155] Record of Marriages, Jackson Co., Missouri, no 50034, William F. Cobb and Nellie A. Brownhill, shows date and offciant.
  11. [S10137] "Marriage: William F. Cobb and Nellie W. Brownhill," The Leavenworth Timespg 5, 14 Mar 1911, shows Monday, city, state, and officiant.
  12. [S10138] Marriage Record, Logan Co., Oklahoma, 12:462, William F. Cobb and Miss Bessie C. Crum, shows date, town, county, state, officiant, and mother's consent.
  13. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows married.
  14. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows occupation married, with his first marriage at age 19 and hers at 17.
  15. [S1000] "Social Security Death Index," Ancestry.com, record for William Cobb, Soc. Sec. No. 443-38-5657, shows month, year, and last residence as Oklahoma.
  16. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809321, William F. Cobb, includes tombstone photo.
  17. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial #41612520, M.A. Cobb, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  18. [S2296] William F. Cobb household, 1910 U.S. Census, Leavenworth Co., Kansas.
  19. [S2296] William F. Cobb household, 1910 U.S. Census, Leavenworth Co., Kansas, shows occupation as salesman, industry as retail dry goods.
  20. [S10137] "Marriage: William F. Cobb and Nellie W. Brownhill," The Leavenworth Timespg 5, 14 Mar 1911, show they were leaving in a week for Tucson, where they would reside.
  21. [S10131] Nellie Cobb obituary, The Leavenworth Times, shows died yesterday, address, and at her home.
  22. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 43809658, Nellie A Brownhill Cobb, shows year, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  23. [S2975] G. A. Cobb Prominent Churchman, is Dead, undated clipping, shows that William came to live with him at three months.
  24. [S3030] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 28 Sep 2010, quoting from letter from Mary to her step-son William "Of course I want the baby. I could not live without him now and have nothing else to do but to raise him."
  25. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows occupation as farmer.
  26. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows occupation as farmer, industry as general farm.
  27. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  28. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  29. [S3034] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 7 Oct 2010, shows that Bessie's mother died in childbirth or shortly after, and she was raised by her mother's good friend and her husband.
  30. [S10132] William F. Cobb household, 1940 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  31. [S10132] William F. Cobb household, 1940 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows occupation as foreman and industry as WPA road work.
  32. [S3030] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 28 Sep 2010, citing his birth certificate, shows parents as Nellie Almira Brownhill and William Francis Cobb.
  33. [S2975] G. A. Cobb Prominent Churchman, is Dead, undated clipping, shows that William was a grandson.
  34. [S2807] Giles A. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Bexar Co., Texas, shows the boy as Giles' son.