County Surveyor 30 years died Thursday

Funeral services for Robert Pinkney Draper, who has surveyed more Choctaw county land than any other man, were conducted Friday at 5 p.m. at First Baptist church by the pastor, Dr. J.F. Murrell. Burial in Mount Olivet cemetery was in charge of Coffey Funeral home.
"Uncle Bob" Draper, as he was known to most of his friends, died at his home on West Jackson street at 7:55 a.m. Thursday. Although he was 84 years of age and had been in declining health for several years, his death was unexpected by many of his friends.
He was born in Jacksonville, Ala., on March 4, 1861. He married Miss Mary Hannah Johnson, a native of Gordon county, Ala., in Chicotah, Tex. on December 24, 1884. They lived there until 1903, when they moved to Indian Territory and settled in what now is Hugo.
He became Choctaw county's first surveyor the year the Territory received its statehood, holding the office for the next 30 years. Throughout that more than a quarter of a century period he was proud of the fact that there never was a single legal controversy based on one of his surveys.
It was "Uncle Bob" who made the surveys for Choctaw county's first roads, and surveyed the site for the first bridge, which was between Hugo and Grant. He made the surveys for all the official new additions to all towns in the county for the 30 years he held office. He attempted to retire several years before he was successful in getting away from the press of active duties in 1937. But even then he was sought in an advisory capacity many times.
Mr. and Mrs. Draper celebrated their fifty eighth wedding anniversary in 1942 quietly at their home, with the occasion made happy by the presence of each of their living children, with the exception of Robert Draper, who was unable to return from the Canal Zone the occasion.
Mr. Draper is survived by his wife, one daughter, Mrs. Millie Gandy, and four sons, Thomas B. Draper, Ross Draper, Robert W. Draper and Landrum Draper. Surviving grandchildren are Mrs. Ralph Axsom, Misses Doris Dean Draper, Donna Draper, Geanne Draper, Robert Draper, Richard Landrum Draper Jr., and Robert Karrh Draper.
Pallbearers were Cap Duncan, L.C. Cross, Jim Spicer, W.E. Schooler, Lon Ellis and Ralph K. Jenner.

Funeral for 'Uncle Bob' Draper of Hugo set Friday
June 8, 1945/unknown newspaper

Funeral services were set for Friday afternoon at the First Baptist Church here for Robert Pinckney Draper, 84, "Uncle Bob," as he was known here, was the first and only Choctaw County surveyor. he died at home early Thursday.
He was born in Jacksonville, Ala., March 4, 1861, the same day on which Lincoln became President. In 1865, he left Alabama with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Draper, to travel by wagon to Texas. The family camped two days on what was known as the Bell place on North Main Street in Paris, and waited for flood water of Pine and Sanders Creeks to recede so they could drive on to Grandpa Littlejohn's farm at Chicota. It was from this point that Draper's father shiped his first two cotton crops by steamboat down Red River to the old Jefferson landing.
Later, Uncle Bob sold his own farm in Texas after "going broke raising cheap cotton" and in 1903, moved over into Indian Territory. He surveyed the first roads to be built in Choctaw County and served from 1907 until 1939 as county surveyor, resigning because of ill health.
He married Miss Mary Johnson in Chicota in 1885 and at the time of his death the couple were residing in their original home here on West Jackson Street.
Besides his wife, five children who survive are Mrs. Ben Gandy, Robert Draper and Landrum Draper, Hugo; Tom and Ross Draper, Wewoka, and six grandchildren.

Uncle Bob Draper died early today; Funeral Friday