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to stay. That began his life in Ft. Smith. Eighty (80) years later he still calls Ft. Smith home. Bob Brown, Mr. Brown, celebrated his 100 th birthday

Bob Brown 100 years

Mr. Legacy

Reading Western

a

/ Cowboy Comic, Bob Brown noticed an ad for Coyne Electrical

Bob Brown, Mr. Brown, celebrated his 100 th birthday on May 12, 2017.

School in Chicago. Bob was 19 and there were no opportunities in Coal Hill, Arkansas. His dad worked in the coal mines and was determined that his boys would not be miners. Though money was short, he somehow paid the tuition and bus fare for son Bob to travel to Chicago to become an electrician. Chicago wasn’t home for Bob so after a few months in school and a shared boarding house room, Bob returned to Coal Hill with a Certificate of Merit as an electrician. Still there were no opportunities in Coal Hill, even if you were an electrician in 1936. In 1937 Bob was offered a job in Ft. Smith at the Ford Company on 11 th street. Hitching a ride with a Hartman friend, Bob arrived in Ft. Smith on a Sunday evening—no money, no food, and no place to go for the evening—so he walked. Passing a boarding house, he saw a sign, “Boarding House-Room for Rent.” Fortunately it was run by an elderly lady with a kind heart and a good judge of character. Without a penny in his pocket, he had a place

on May 12, 2017. He’s actually 100 years, 4 months and 8 days as of the writing of this article. He has exceptional hearing and eye sight and still drives to the HVACR Association meetings each month at the Golden Corral. God has been good according to Bob. He muses about how much he has been blessed. His courtship is touching. He met his future wife at a customer’s home. She was a Nanny and house keeper and he caught her eye. It was mutual. Their dates were walking. Neither had a car. Bob got a little cold feet and it seemed they would not get married. After two days apart, he sent her a note, “I can’t live without you.” That did the trick and they were married in the same boarding house where he began his life in Ft. Smith. She passed away about 10 years ago but his two daughters take good care of their daddy. After working for one company 20 years, he bought the business and operated it until about three years ago. Exact dates don’t mean that