The Bobbitt Family In America

503


  

On January 28, 1964 at the age of 100 years, 9 months and 15 days, he died. A letter from his daughter, Grace Bobbitt, to her cousin, Dr. Ozro H. Bobbitt, best describes the passing of this venerable soul.

"Dad claimed his award today just at 9:25 AM, shortly after he had been bathed and assured Mary that nothing hurt him. He so wanted to go home to the joy that he would have in meeting his Savior. Even, our knowledge of this, his readiness, and all, did not do much to lessen our grief when the time came. We were not as well prepared as we thought we would be. He had all of his faculties with the exception of clear speech and the sight of his right eye. He apparently had a stroke about a week before his passing. He could hear and knew everything as he would confirm by a nod of his head. He slipped away without a struggle and we have tried to be brave and not mourn as he had repeatedly asked us not to do. Your warm affection has been a source of great happiness and joy to him, as well as the rest of us. He always spoke and apparently thought of you as really a great man."

Funeral services were conducted on Friday, January 31, 1964 by Reverend Dwight Lowther and Reverend Clyde L. West with burial in the Odd Fellows Cemetery of Cowen, West Virginia. The active pallbearers were; Gene Angus, William Beck, Joe Funkhouser, Howard Gardner, Claude Greene, and Alfred Morton. The Honorary Pallbearers were; Lewis Baber, Arthur Beck, Fred Brewster, H. A. Burton, Arthur Gold, Mannie Hickman, George Hill, Wayne Hoover, Harry Howard, Ward Huffman, George Hurd, Clyde Kessler, J. N. Kurish, Dana Martin, Cecil Mills, Pat Morton, Dolan Sanson, Roscoe Sparks, William Watkins, Milton Woods, Bruce Wright. The Flower bearers were Dixie Angus, Helen Arthur, Betty Beck, Gertrude Berthy, Eva Lee Clark, Jane Funkhouser, Paula Greene, Lelia Gregory, Evelyn Hoover, Mildred Howard, Vivian Kessler, Rose Keyser, Glenna Miller, Marguerite Moore, Eva O'Brien, Lela Smith, Gaye Sparks, Ruth Smith, Audrey Swiger, Virginia Wright.

There were six grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren. The grandchildren were, Joe Claire (Bobbitt) Knott, Connie (Bobbitt) Hill, John David Bobbitt, James Hill Bobbitt, Maxine Woods, and Katherine Bobbitt.

Words from a letter of Senator Jennings Randolph to Lee Hill Bobbitt on April 8. 1963 seem fitting to close this chapter.

"The depth of your days has been but the reflection of that love and service which have characterized a century of living on God's good earth."