Maurice "Cobb" Britten

Maurice “Cobb” Britten, 82, of Groom died May 8, 2021.

Vigil will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Groom. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at the church. Interment will follow in St. May’s Catholic Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home.

Cobb was born October 9, 1938 to Joe and Clara Britten at the farm 4 miles north of Groom, TX.  He started school at the young age of 5 at St. Mary’s School in Groom.  He ate in the school lunch room every day for 8 years and enjoyed salmon patties, macaroni and cheese, English peas, and hominy every Friday for 8 years.

He then went on to further his education at Groom High School and graduated in 1956 in the top 22 in his class.   In 1957, he attended the National Auction Institute in Bryan, Texas.  In 1959, he began conducting farm sales in the Groom area and surrounding communities.  In 1960, he was drafted by the U.S. Army and, after a large going away party, he was back home a day later with a 4-F classification because of his unique big toe situation.  He went on to pursue the auction business and farmed for several years.

In 1971, he moved to Gettysburg, SD and purchased a farm with his brother-in-law, KC Swayze.  While he was in Gettysburg for 7 years and attempted 7 times, he finally started dating his soon to be bride in 1977.  He married Kay Becker on August 20th 1977.  While in Gettysburg, he began working for Nauman Farm Supply as their salesman.  After the worst drought in history, he sold the farm and moved to Wylie, TX, where they lived for one year before moving to Brookings, SD and buying a restaurant which was named Cobb’s BBQ.  After two years with that disaster, they sold it and moved to Onida, SD and leased the Fire Side Restaurant and lounge for one year.

They then moved to Groom, TX, and Cobb went to work for Ernest St. Clair Auctioneers.  He conducted auctions in 16 states throughout the mid-west, including the sale of the Anaconda Copper Mine, which lasted 11 days.  Cobb and Kay purchased the Gothenburg Livestock Auction Barn in Nebraska for 1-1/2 years.

The family moved back to Groom, and Cobb worked for Tony Treadwell and John Bohr as a trucker.  In 2018, Cobb was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  His joy in life was meeting all of his friends at the Grill for breakfast, collecting 233 brass bells, and watching Lawrence Welk every Saturday night.

He is survived by his wife, Kay, of 43 years and their children, Joe Britten and Frances Elders and her husband, Matt, and two grandchildren, Lucy and Maggie Jo Elders, and his one sibling Germainie Meyer and numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Clara and Joe Britten, his siblings Claudine Britten, Ruth Swayze, Evelyn Putman, and Earl Britten.

Cobb was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Groom.  He loved to tell stories and always had a special rapport with his friends.

Donations may be made to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Building Fund, PO Box 130, Groom, Texas 79039.

The obituary was written by Cobb Britten himself.