Served his country during World War II Joseph Arthur Corum, the son of David Arthur Corum and Lorine (Coursey) Corum, was born Sept. 3, 1921 in Searcy, Ark., and departed this life Oct. 24, 2007, at the age of 86 years, 1 month, 21 days.
Joseph Arthur Corum began his adult life serving his country during World War II. Joe served for nearly four years in the Army Engineer Corps in the European Theater, exiting the army with the rank of captain.
After the war, Joe found the love of his life, Hollie May Sylvis, in Rapid City, S.D. The two were married for 58 years, sharing their life together with their five children.
After some time in South Dakota, the family moved to the Kansas City area where Joe served others and provided for his family managing a full service filling station. Joe kept his family in Kansas City until all but his youngest daughter had left the home.
Joe and Hollie spent the last 20 years living in the same community as their two sons and their youngest daughter. Joe returned to his farming roots when he first moved to Ava and brought an agricultural feel to the Corums in Ava that had hitherto been missing. When the farm grew to be too much for the Corum clan, he and Hollie moved back to the big city of Ava. They moved to Red Bud Village where they made many friends, and Joe began to care for the needs of other residents as well as for his loving wife and family. Joe was known in the Red Bud community as one who helped others.
While living in Red Bud Village, Joe served on the board where he assisted with improving the quality of the residence living and fulfilled his life long dream of getting his hands on a John Deere lawn mower which he drove and occasionally used to mow the lawn, thereby extending his farming career beyond his days at his farm just outside of Ava. He was also known in the KKOZ family as the man who stopped by every Tuesday morning and took the time to chat with the girls and to sip a hot cup of coffee and read his paper.
Joseph was preceded in death by his parents; a granddaughter, Christina Corum; and siblings Edith Cheek, Juanita Farris and James Corum.
Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Hollie (Sylvis) Corum; two sons, Joseph Alan Corum and wife Vickie, and Charles Arthur Corum and wife, Marilyn, all of Ava; three daughters, Judith Lorine Christy and husband Ray, of the Kansas City area, Sandra Kay McCourt, of Kansas City, Kan., and Shirley Jean Herrell and husband Jason, of Ava; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Services were at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, in Clinkingbeard Funeral Chapel with Dan Wade officiating. Interment followed in the Ava Cemetery with Military Honors by VFW Post 5993 and American Legion Post 112. Visitation was Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. in the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Community Hospice. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneralhome. com.
