Coburn William Parkin

Coburn W. 'Cobe' Parkin, Sr. was born January 3, 1927, at Osage City, Kansas. He was the son of John Henry and Theresa L.L. (Wagg) Parkin. He grew up in Ottawa, and lived in Pomona from the mid 1940's until 1961, when he moved to the Williamsburg area, where he lived until his death at the age of seventy-nine years. Cobe attended Ottawa High School with the class of 1945, and later obtained his G.E.D. in the Army. C.W. was a lifelong carpenter & stockman. In his younger years he mined coal with his father and brothers. In the 1950's, he worked for Santa Fe Railroad, building bridges and rights-of-way. He was a fifty year member of the Local Carpenter's Union, starting with the Ottawa Local, then the Lawrence Local #2279, and lastly with Local #61 Carpenter's Union in Kansas City, Missouri, retiring in 1989. He served in the United States Army attaining the rank of Tech-5 from April of 1945 to November of 1946. He was stationed in Japan working in the motor pool as a mechanic. He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Army Occupation Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Memorial Post #5901 of Ottawa. C.W. always enjoyed the outdoors, from hunting to gardening to fishing. Coon hunting with his friends was a favorite pastime of his, and he was always ready to work the cattle. He truly enjoyed those moments. Most important in his life, however, was his family, especially his grandchildren. They gave him great joy and he was very proud of all of them. On May 25, 1952 C.W. was united in marriage with Dorothy Kelley at Burlington, Kansas. They later divorced.He is survived by three sons, Gene Casady of Pomona, Kansas, Cobie Parkin, Jr. and his wife, Mary Ann, of Williamsburg, Kansas, Pat Parkin and his wife, Pam, of Ottawa, Kansas; a daughter, Kathy Doffing and her husband, Joe, of Clearwater, KS.; sister, Theresa Ann Shepheard of Ottawa, Kansas; brother Herbert S. Parkin of Pomona, Kansas; eight grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, John H. 'Sonny' Parkin, and Harry 'Tom' Parkin. SERVICES: Funeral services will be held from the Dengel & Son Mortuary 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 25, 2006. IN STATE: Mr. Parkin will lie in state at the Dengel & Son Mortuary after 9 a.m. Tuesday to the service hour, where the family will meet with friends 7 to 8 Wednesday evening. CEMETERY: Osage City Cemetery, Osage City, Kansas. MEMORIALS: The family suggests memorials to Williamsburg Library Fund, c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through dengelmortuary@sbcglobal.net.