Texas
Perry Cotham, gospel preacher for 80-plus years, dies at 101
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Perry B. Cotham, a gospel preacher for more than 80 years, died Feb. 26 at the residential care home where he had lived since 2011.
He had celebrated his 101st birthday on Jan. 5, said Terri L. Green, owner of PBH Residential Care Homes.
Cotham was “highly esteemed” by fellow residents of the Keith Heights retirement home, Green told The Christian Chronicle.
“He was affectionately known as ‘papa’ by the staff,” Green said. “He was unanimously appointed the patriarch of the group and assumed his role as spiritual leader by saying ‘grace’ at every meal.
“Until recently, when his health declined, he occupied his time by daily reading his Bible and other doctrinal and spiritual books and wrote letters to family, friends and fellow laborers in the Lord’s work around the world.”
Born in 1912, he was baptized at an early age, finished high school in three years and began preaching in 1929. He enrolled at Freed-Hardeman University, then a junior college, in September 1929 and graduated in June 1931.
He served full time with churches in Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee and preached in all 50 states. He did mission work in India, Malaysia and Thailand and visited more than 75 countries. He wrote and distributed millions of copies of his gospel tracts.
Funeral services were conducted March 1 at the Cross Point Church of Christ in Grand Prairie.
TO READ A FULL OBITUARY and see reflections by those influenced by Cotham, go to www.christian chronicle.org/blog and search for “Perry B. Cotham.”
He had celebrated his 101st birthday on Jan. 5, said Terri L. Green, owner of PBH Residential Care Homes.
Cotham was “highly esteemed” by fellow residents of the Keith Heights retirement home, Green told The Christian Chronicle.
“He was affectionately known as ‘papa’ by the staff,” Green said. “He was unanimously appointed the patriarch of the group and assumed his role as spiritual leader by saying ‘grace’ at every meal.
“Until recently, when his health declined, he occupied his time by daily reading his Bible and other doctrinal and spiritual books and wrote letters to family, friends and fellow laborers in the Lord’s work around the world.”
Born in 1912, he was baptized at an early age, finished high school in three years and began preaching in 1929. He enrolled at Freed-Hardeman University, then a junior college, in September 1929 and graduated in June 1931.
He served full time with churches in Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee and preached in all 50 states. He did mission work in India, Malaysia and Thailand and visited more than 75 countries. He wrote and distributed millions of copies of his gospel tracts.
Funeral services were conducted March 1 at the Cross Point Church of Christ in Grand Prairie.
TO READ A FULL OBITUARY and see reflections by those influenced by Cotham, go to www.christian chronicle.org/blog and search for “Perry B. Cotham.”
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