Cotton Kinnard, age 87 of Breckenridge, passed away Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 2, at Bethany Baptist Church with Rev. Don Bearden and Rev. Charles West officiating. Interment will follow at 2:30 p.m. in the Graceland Cemetery in Jermyn, Texas, under the direction of Morehart Mortuary. Services have been entrusted to Morehart Mortuary.
Olan Estus (Cotton) Kinnard was born on Jan. 31, 1930, at the home of his parents on the Cherryholmes Ranch in Jack County, Texas. His parents were George Martin and Littie Sophronia Kinnard. He was the youngest of nine children (Opal, Orie, Ollie, Willie Oster, Otis Clinton (OC), Odessa, Ophelia and Olan (Cotton)). All of the siblings’ names started with an “O”.
Cotton started school in Jermyn, Texas, and then attended school in Jacksboro and Fort Worth. Cotton worked in the oil field in Mississippi and Alabama and subsequently came to live with his sister in Monahans, where he met the love of his life, Jackye Lou Davis. He went to work for Magnolia Petroleum on Jan. 16, 1949, and married Jackye on Feb. 8, 1949, in Odessa. He worked in the Drilling Department of Magnolia Petroleum Co (which became Mobil and later Exxon Mobil) for 7 years and then transferred into the Production Department at Burkburnett. He worked there for 18 years doing roustabout, pumping and gang pushing assignments. In June of 1974, he was promoted to a Production Technician and transferred to Midland. In about 18 months, he was promoted to an Assistant Production Foreman and moved to Breckenridge where he was promoted to Production Foreman III over all Mobil’s production in Stephens County. He completed his Mobil Oil career on his 60th birthday after 41 years of service.
After retiring from Mobil he co-owned Stephens County Propane Co. with his son-in-law, Ernie Underwood. He also owned and operated the Cottonwood Cattle Co. Cotton was very active in the communities he lived in, coaching youth football, basketball and baseball. He also served as Youth Baseball Commissioner and umpire.
He was ordained as a deacon at Central Baptist Church of Burkburnett in 1964 and served faithfully for over 50 years at Central, Wilshire Park Baptist in Midland, and Bethany Baptist Church in Breckenridge. In 2001, when a tornado severely damaged Bethany Baptist, he undertook the responsibility of rebuilding the auditorium. He was an early participant in the BISD mentor program working with grade school children. Cotton served on the Stephens County Appraisal, Aging Services Advisory and Rural Water Boards. He loved the outdoors and seldom missed a church service, Rangers game or Kinnard Family Reunion.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George Martin Kinnard and Littie Sophronia Kinnard; one son, Stephen Lewis Kinnard; seven siblings, Willie Oster Kinnard, Gracie Opal Easter, Ollie Damron, Oma Hefner, Otis Clinton Kinnard, Orie Edward Kinnard and Odessa Faye Hodge.
Cotton is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jackye Lou Davis Kinnard of the home; children, Richard Olan Kinnard and wife Janey of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Martye Jo Underwood and husband Ernie of Breckenridge; daughter-in-law, Fredrica Kinnard of Lockhart; sister, Ophelia Evans of San Antonio; 10 grandchildren, Jennifer J. Latimer, Kelley Ann and Brandon Brown, Richard Kyle and Marcye Kinnard, Kayce Leigh Underwood, Kevin R. and Brittany Underwood, Stephen A. Kinnard and fiancé Laura Richardson, Clifford and Melissa Carpenter, Cassandra Snider, Clayton and Linda Carpenter, Craig and Valerie Carpenter; 24 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bethany Baptist Church, the Breckenridge Senior Citizen Center or to Hendrick Hospice and may be left at Morehart Mortuary. Condolences may be made online at www.morehartmortuary.net.
