Brownwood residents, descendants of Charlie Coe of Burkburnett, attended a ceremony for the placement of a Texas Historical Commission marker recognizing his life and heroism. Coe was originally from Cordell, Oklahoma, and later moved to Burkburnett, Texas where he died as a result of a heroic deed on September 27th.
Speakers for the presentation were Carl Law, Burkburnett mayor; Robert Palmer, president of the Wichita County Historical Commission; Dick Vallon, of the Burkburnett Historical Society, and Becky Trammell, who prepared the marker application. Also present for the dedication was Charley Coe’s great-great-granddaughter, Terri Coe Evans-Barner, her husband, Brad, and their son, Alex, from Brownwood, Texas.
In 1923, Coe, 30, died rescuing a child from a structure fire in Burkburnett. He was posthumously awarded the last of only 19 solid gold medals presented by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.
Pictured above are (on the left) Robert Palmer, Chair of Wichita County Historical Commission; Pat Norriss, Wichita County Commissioner-Precinct Two and (on right: from back to front) Brad Barner, Terri Coe Evans-Barner, and their son, Alex Barner. Photos contributed.
