Published: June 08, 2007 10:12 pm         

Memories from the past

96-year-old Eschol Cosby spent time as a cowboy, boxer and pastor

As Eschol Cosby talks about his life, he frequently refers to excerpts from his 110-page book, “Branded for Christ,” featuring a photo of the former cowboy on his horse on the front cover.

Eschol Cosby, 96, was born in Texas and grew up in Arizona. He moved to Logansport two years ago to live with his son, Robert Cosby.

“We moved to Arizona in 1917,” Eschol said. “I grew up as a cowboy.”

“He was raised on a cattle ranch,” Robert said. “He literally saw the late end of the cowboy era.”

Eschol wrote about the experience in his book.

“In the fall of 1917, Papa packed up his family and a few belongings, and headed for Arizona,” he wrote. “There were no motels then, and, of course, no money for such things if there had been. So we slept out on the ground and cooked on a campfire. We stopped to see Grandpa and Grandma Cosby.”

The area in which he grew up was desolate.

“It was frontier country,” Eschol said.

Robert said his father lived five miles from the nearest neighbor, 25 miles from the nearest town and 100 miles from the nearest railroad.

In his book, Eschol writes about the old days, “All our meals were home-cooked and, for the most part, ‘home-grown.’ There was no shopping at the supermarket, but there was an occasional trip to Becker’s store in Springerville for a few staples such as flour, sugar and coffee, and that was about it. ... A hundred dollars would lay in enough groceries for the entire winter.”

A significant moment in Eschol’s life was when he was saved and committed his life to God.

“I was saved at the age of 6 or 7,” he said. He would later become a pastor.

Before enlisting in the Army in World War II, Eschol spent time as a professional boxer.

“When I was a teenager, K.O. Simpson came to Springerville for a fight,” Eschol said. “He offered to train anyone willing to spar with him.”

“He did really well,” Robert said about his dad.

According to Eschol, the only fight he ever lost was to Simpson.

Eschol said God was present during his time in the Army.

“I took a guy to church the first week in the service and he was saved,” he said.

Eschol was lucky enough never to go overseas. He was the sergeant of telephone, telegraph and signal offices. He says in his book, “The Army just paid me for five years’ evangelistic work!”

Eschol spent a lot of time in the Army with Johnny, the man he saved.

After he was discharged in 1945, Eschol went to Bible school at Biola College in Los Angeles.

There he met Joan Ives, who he later married. The couple will soon celebrate 58 years of marriage.

Eschol has been a pastor in four churches in Arizona.

He says he didn’t think he would ever become a pastor.

“I had no idea,” he said.

If anything, Eschol says, the career chose him.

In college, Eschol started the Christian Cowboys with friends. The team played gospel music and Eschol preached.

“I used to play six different instruments,” Eschol said. “I used to be an expert.”

In fact, Eschol is the owner of a mandolin specially made by Paul Bigsby. It is one-of-a-kind, he said.

In 1951, a new Christian Cowboy group began, and the group traveled all over the country spreading the Gospel.

Robert said the group eventually continued without Eschol.

Eschol retired from being a pastor two years ago, but has passed on his legacy to his three children.

Robert is a pastor at Faith and Family Baptist Church in Logansport. Robert’s sister, Kathy Hoover, married a pastor, Mike, who preaches in Orleans. And Becky Miller is the church pianist at a Baptist church in Arizona.

Because he’s had such an interesting life, Eschol’s family encouraged him to get his life story down on paper.

“We bugged him and bugged him and bugged him for years,” Robert said.

Eschol finally did, and his family couldn’t have been happier.

“It’s a way of telling people about his very unusual and full lifetime,” Robert said.

Melissa Soria may be reached at (574) 732-5143 or via e-mail at melissa.soria@pharostribune.com