11/28/16   Commer Obit

88 year old Jake B. Commer of Pine Bluff died Saturday at Davis Life Care. Commer was raised and received his education in Pine Bluff.

He was a Seaman First Class in the U.S. Navy having served in Palmyra Island and Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Jake worked as a Unites State Postal carrier for more than 30 years. He also worked for about 30 years in the grocery business.

Upon retirement, Jake and other volunteers and some former railroad employees were instrumental in transporting Steam locomotive 819 from Oakland Park to the original Cotton Belt shops and refurbishing it to its functioning capacity. The group formally organized the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and was instrumental in the formation of the Arkansas Railroad Museum.

Funeral services will be tomorrow at 1pm in the Chapel of Ralph Robinson and Son in Pine Bluff. Burial will be private.