Noia Barry (Cork) Brown, 91, of Kimball, died at Kimball health Services on Friday, November 4, 2022. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 11, 2022 at the Kimball Presbyterian Church with Pastor Alan Foutz officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date. Friends may visit www.cantrellfh.com to view Cork’s Tribute Wall and share condolences and stories with the family. Memorials may be given in his memory to at the Kimball Presbyterian Church or Kimball Health Services. The services for Cork have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.
Noia was born on February 5, 1931 to Ira O. Brown and Ruby G. (Crum packer) Brown in Pawhuska Oklahoma. He was the second of six children. He was raised in Oklahoma and Springdale, Arkansas. At an early age he was given the nickname Cork.
Cork’s dad worked many jobs to keep the family together in the thirties and forties. One of those jobs was a bootlegger. After getting caught several times he switched to oilfield work. They moved often and Cork quit school after the 8th grade., New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado
Cork was drafted into the Army in 1951 in Worland Wyoming. After boot camp they were shipped to Korea where he spent 18 months driving heavy equipment building an airfield and fighting off the North Koreans. When the peace treaty was signed he was shipped home where he joined his Dad, brother Jack, and brother-in-law Felton Wroten working for Nebraska Drillers which brought them to Kimball in June of 1954.
He was married to Bernita Jackson on November 14, 1954. A whirlwind courtship but the rig was moving to Colorado and he didn’t want to leave her behind. He bought a used trailer house and they joined the family parade of trailers. One month later near New Raymer Colorado, Cork and his Dad were burned, while drilling they hit a gas pocket that exploded. He spent the next month in the hospital in Denver.
When Cork was released from the hospital they moved onto the farm East of Kimball owned by Bernita’s parents where Cork continued working for Nebraska Drillers. Michael Dale was born in January 1956. Not long after he decided to try working for his Dad again which led them to Aztec New Mexico. Gerald Lane was born in Farmington, September 1957. They moved back to Kimball to stay when work slowed down and another baby was due. Nicholas Barry was born on October 1958.
Cork went to work for Basin Pipe and Supply, also owned by Nebraska Drillers. It was during this time 63 years ago that he built his own water well drilling rig using his skills learned in the oilfield. He drilled his first wells for August Heideman, Bob Steele and Chuck Singleton. From there the water well business was born. Two sons and a couple of grandsons still make their living with the business he started
In 1964 Cork decided he could build a house for his growing family. They purchased a Capp Home. After the basement is ready The carpenters came in and framed it. All we had to do is finish everything as quickly as possible with their written instructions. How to do each step except how a marriage is to survive through the whole process. We all survived and enjoyed the house for 45 years. Cork taught his sons the meaning of a strong work ethic.
During those years Cork & Bernita bought their first camper. They enjoyed many years traveling around the country with friends and eventually purchased a Park model trailer in an Rv Resort in Mesa AZ. Then buying a house on the golf course. They spent 25 years going to Arizona in the winter until Corks health brought them back home three years ago.
Cork enjoyed golf, his Cocker Spaniel Lille and watching Football, golf and old Westerns on TV. Most of all he enjoyed his work. He drug his feet for 65 years about attending church and accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Three years ago he changed his mind and was baptized and joined the church,
Cork is survived by his wife, Bernita and three sons, Michael (Veronica) Gerald, (Shelly) and Nicholas, (Sharon) all of Kimball, six grandsons, Mitchell, Preston, John, Trevor, Andrew, and Taylor, three step grandsons, Adam, AJ and Andrew Bohac and adopted grands, Jeffrey, Chelsey and Ethan and too many great grandchildren to list.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Rose and Felton Wroten, sister Pat and Leonard Kellner, brother Jack, and an infant brother and sister and a granddaughter, Heather Brown.
