Cornelia Cobb Oldham

On October 19, 2020, Cornelia Cobb Oldham, 101 years old, went home to heaven--oh yes! Cornelia, known to her friends and family as Cornie, was born in DeRidder, Louisiana. Her loving parents, William James and Berta Tull Cobb, reared a lively household of 5 girls of whom Cornie was the youngest. Her beloved sisters, Lois, Ruby, Ruth and Bill (Willie Lee) preceded her in death. She met Dudley Oldham when she was working as an X-ray technician in Dr. Bertner’s office, a gynecology/oncology practice, where Dudley was a surgeon and partner. They married in 1937 and had happy years as a young couple establishing themselves in Houston. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dudley enlisted in the Army Air Corps, became a flight surgeon, and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel. They moved to Alberta, Canada, where Dudley was in charge of the allied air bases in northern North America, all the way to the North Pole. Cornelia always said that Canada had some of the most beautiful places in the world, and she enjoyed her time there, despite the bitter cold. It was the first time the Louisiana girl had experienced such a winter. Cornie and Dudley moved to Houston following the war and soon thereafter started their family. Gus Ronald Oldham was born in 1946 and Molly Virginia Oldham in 1949. As a family, they had exciting adventures, taking trips to Mexico, the Bahamas, and to their home on the Medina River in Bandera and their farm in Missouri on Table Rock Lake Cornie was a devoted, lifelong member of River Oaks Baptist Church, and along with Dudley became a charter member when the church was organized. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and was a leader of the Women’s Missionary Union for many years. Her powerful faith helped her through the death of her son, when he was only 26 and the death of her husband in 1976. Cornie was an amazing cook. Friends entering the door of the River Oaks Grand Central Station, headquartered for 71 years at Cornie’s kitchen table, could expect to be greeted with one of Cornie’s fabulous meringue pies and a cup of coffee. Until the end of her long life, she retained her keen sense of humor and her razor-sharp memory. She is survived by her beloved daughter Molly, a multitude of friends, and an extended family of nieces and nephews, all of whom are grateful to call her their aunt, and some of whom called her “Ankie.” The family would like to give special thanks to caregivers and friends, Jessy Luna and Paula Stotts, for their tender love and care in her final years, and the team from Compassus Hospice. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation, if so moved, to: River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick Rd, Houston, Texas 77027, or Samaritan’s Purse, at P. O. Box 3000, Boone, North Carolina 28607 The family will receive friends on Friday, October 23, 2020, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home, 1734 W. Alabama St. in Houston. Private graveside services for family will be held at a later date.