Thursday, May 2, 2024
What appeared to be a routine 911 call for the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department on New Year’s Eve ended up being a heartfelt and heavy loss for the entirety of the Cresson Community.
On Dec. 31, the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department received a call that 83-year-old William Bob Cornett had suffered cardiac arrest and CPR was underway. After multiple attempts at defibrillation and the administration of appropriate drugs, Cornett passed away.
Cornett proudly served his community as mayor of Cresson from 2003 to 2020. He also served as assistant fire chief at the Cresson VFD, where in December he was recognized for 35 years with the department.
Originally from Nebraska, Cornett and his family moved to Iowa where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Sandy. The two moved to Cresson in 1983 and built their dream log house alongside their family from the ground up. He turned his dream of having his family live near him into a reality and multiple houses were built nearby. His family said Cornett was very family oriented and would do anything for any of them.
“He always wanted everybody together, whether it be for holidays, birthdays or just a sit-down meal, he always wanted to hear about what was going on in everyone’s life,” Cornett’s youngest daughter, Kelly Flud, said. “He was always willing to give advice when needed.”
While serving as mayor, Cornett worked to put Cresson on the map and discussed the Cresson bypass. He also aimed to alleviate city taxes.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he was so successful when he was mayor, because he was able to find middle ground with a lot of people,” grandson Jerad Gomez said. “He was well liked, and people respected him.”
When Cornett first joined the Cresson VFD, there were only 12 firefighters in total, but it eventually grew. In 1995 he helped with building the upgraded fire station from the ground up. Cornett became an integral part of the department, and later became captain.
Members of the family even became members of the volunteer fire department including Sandy, Flud and Gomez.
“He was a great teacher and a great leader,” Flud said. “He would help train them and go through all the classes and do everything that needed to be done to make them the firefighters that they are.”
Up until Cornett stopped being active on calls, he was still heavily involved with the fire department. He and Sandy would help put Christmas gift bags together for the volunteer firefighters as well as bags for children around the community.
“I knew Bob for over 33 years, I knew him from work-related times from where he retired and from the fire department days and worked with him as the mayor of Cresson,” Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds told the HCN. “He was a great man to work with and had many years of wisdom under his belt. He will be missed by all who knew him.”
A celebration of life was held for Cornett Jan. 6 at the Diana Jones Memorial Training Center located at 9401 E. U.S. 377 in Cresson.
Sandy shared she will miss having him by her side. “He’s our here and always has been. He just was the light in our lives, but he’s left a lot of good memories. He left a lot of good things,” she said.
Gomez added the family has seen an outpouring of love from the community since Cornett’s passing; Sandy called it “unbelievable.”
During a regularly scheduled Cresson City Council meeting Jan. 9, the council read an official proclamation honoring Cornett for his service.
“Beginning in 2001, when the City of Cresson was incorporated, Bob Cornett gave the best of himself to bring to fruition the visions for Cresson to grow and prosper as a community; whereas our retired mayor is to be commended for outstanding service throughout the City of Cresson’s history; and whereas, his service to the city includes many worthwhile and lasting accomplishments too numerous to name individually; and whereas, the retired mayor’s outstanding service to the City of Cresson reflects well upon him and the city he led for so many years; now therefore, be it resolved that retired Mayor Bob Cornett is hereby honored for outstanding and dedicated service to the citizens of the City of Cresson, and be it further resolved that a copy of this proclamation be presented to the wife of retired Mayor Bob Cornett, Sandy Cornett. It is to become a permanent record of the city and be prominently displayed at Cresson City Hall,” the proclamation read.
