The death of former KOM Leaguer--Alex Coleman

A Brief KOM League
Flash Report
for
December 15, 2006


Apology:

I haven't been keeping up with my duties on the Flash Report and other tasks of late. Yesterday another episode with my mother took place. We moved her to a nursing home near Springfield, Missouri so that she could receive the kind of treatment required for her severe spinal and back pain. She will receive assistance through Hospice in order to make her more comfortable.

My wife and I followed an ambulance sent from St. Johns Hospital in Springfield down the two-lane and then four lane Interstate yesterday afternoon. We made the 186 mile one-way trip, went through the admissions process, grabbed a bite to eat at the world famous "Lamberts Throwed Roll" cafe and zoomed up the highway back home and hit the sack at 9:50 p.m. At 9:55 my wife was sound asleep and I was wondering why I couldn't.

At the same time as we were chasing the ambulance down I-44, just a "few" miles further west, on that same road, the former oldest living member of the KOM League was being laid to rest. The following is the obituary on a fellow who caught for teams such as the Wichita Boeing Bombers during the WW II era and when the KOM League was founded followed Frank "Goldie" Howard over to Chanute to be a member of the first KOM League pennant winning team.

Alex Coleman

Alex Coleman (93) went home to be with the Lord on Friday December 8, 2006. He joins his beloved wife, Mildred, who awaited him in Glory. Alex was born February 13, 1913 in Ada, Oklahoma to Charles Boyd and Emma Jane Coleman. He attended Classen High School, played minor league baseball, was a Mason and was an active member of Crown Heights Baptist Church for over 60 years. As a firefighter, Chief Coleman was loved and respected by his men for the many years he served on the Oklahoma City Fire Department. He married the love of his life, Mildred, in 1933 and they spent 72 years together. Alex was a caring husband and father and exceptional grandfather and great-grandfather. He is survived by two sons, Len and his wife, Nancy, in New Jersey and Gib and his wife, Tina, in Minnesota and a nephew Jimmy and his wife, Nora, in Moore, Oklahoma and many other loving relatives. His love permeated his family of 7 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by an infant son, 'Peewee' Merle Alex, six brothers and sisters and his wife, Mildred. Memorial contributions can be made to Crown Heights Baptist Church, 4802 N. Western, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 in the name of Alex Coleman. Funeral service will be Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006 at 10:00 AM at Baggerley Memorial Chapel, 13313 N. Kelley, Oklahoma City (405) 755-1111. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, December 13th at the funeral home.

Click on this URL for the Daily Oklahoman and you'll see a more current photo of Alex Coleman. If you'd like to see how he looked in 1946 as a 33-year old KOM League rookie, you can purchase either Majoring in The Minors or KOM League Remembered and see for yourself. That is an awful crass way of promoting books, isn't it? Actually, some folks are ordering books for Christmas. If you would like one of the aforementioned books or Mickey Mantle Before the Glory you can order them in the next couple of days to receive them by Christmas. One is on its way today to Sacramento, California. Alex Muirhead cared enough of his son Jim, to send the very best. Son Jim will be getting, Mickey Mantle Before the Glory.
http://www.legacy.com/oklahoman/Obituaries.asp?Page=SearchResults --

By the way, thanks to all who have sent Christmas cards and to those who have re-subscribed to the KOM League Remembered newsletter. In some shape, form or fashion there will be another newsletter coming out after the first of the year. It will not be in the newspaper format as it has in the past decade since I got dropped from that publisher for reasons far beyond my ability to comply.

John G. Hall