Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Fall 2025 25 Member Spotlight went by her preferred name of Peggy, which her father called her. She grew up in Lynd (Lyon County), a rural town with 200–300 people in far southwest Minnesota. Of special note, an annual 3–4 generational family reunion at the family house still takes place every summer, drawing around forty people from all around the country. Peggy attended St. Cloud State University, where she earned a degree in art and mathematics. She was an art teacher and a supervisor in the Edina, MN schools. While her husband Jacob was completing his Ph.D. in Education at Peabody College, she taught Social Studies and Mathematics at Ward-Belmont College, a girls' school; this institution later merged with Belmont College and is now part of Vanderbilt University. During WWII, while Jacob was stationed in New Orleans as a naval officer, Peggy earned credits toward a Master's degree in Art at Sophie Newcomb/Tulane. For many years she continued taking night and weekend classes for this degree completion at Indiana State. She taught art at its laboratory school, but stopped teaching to raise her children. In 1962, when her youngest child was five years old, Peggy finally earned the long sought-after Master's degree in Art. Peggy was married for 59 years to Jacob Cobb and raised three children: two sons and a daughter. When she and Jacob moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, Peggy affiliated as a Patroness with the Terre Haute Alumnae Chapter. After moving to Atlanta to live near family, she affiliated with the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter in 2008. Her two sons, Bill and Peter, have related several childhood memories growing up. Bill is an attorney who lives in Atlanta, and Peter lives and works in California. Their mother provided many art activities for the three children. Water coloring, acrylic and finger painting, silk screening, clay sculpting, and even doodling were avenues in which the boys in particular expressed their creativity. Her daughter, Katy, was born with severe cerebral palsy and couldn't draw, but she would scribble. Supporting Katy's disability, Peggy would have the brothers augment their sister's scribbles into something recognizable. It is recalled that despite Katy's disabilities, the family always involved her in family, friends, and neighborhood events. The family subscribed to several magazines, including Saturday Review, Look, Life, National Geographic, Saturday Evening Post, and The Atlantic. Bill indicated that his mother would mark articles for him to read that she thought would be of interest to him, and that she was very supportive of his coin collecting phase. This extraordinary supercentenarian has a positive outlook on life. With her insatiable curiosity, she strives to learn something new every day. She likes to write fiction based on facts. In 2023, she wrote and illustrated her third book, Painter Pan. Her second book, Design and Sign (an art activities book), was published in 2020. Her first book, A Bat Named Belinda, was published in 2006 in honor of Katy who died in 1998. Imagine what historical events and inventions Peggy has experienced throughout her 110 years—she lived through twenty US Presidents, the moon landing, and inventions such as radio broadcasting, the first working all-electronic television system, computers, and the internet. Her secret to living a long life: being flexible and having humor. Her oft-repeated flexibility and humor sayings are: "Stay flexible and you'll never get bent out of shape" and "Humor, never leave home without it." She lives by a quote from her father: "Furnish your mind well, and you will always have a comfortable place to live." Sage advice for us all! Her enthusiasm for life gives her energy, and her positive mental attitude on life and sense of humor are an inspiration. Those who are fortunate to spend time with this delightful person can only be duly impressed with Peggy's insatiable search for learning and her true interest in life and those around her. This wise supercentenarian has much from which we can learn. At left, Arolue Flemmen Prater, Martha Head, At left, Arolue Flemmen Prater, Martha Head, Natalie Codelli behind Peggy Cobb in her Natalie Codelli behind Peggy Cobb in her Hammond Glen apartment. Hammond Glen apartment. Above, a special proclamation signed Above, a special proclamation signed by the Mayor of Sandy Springs. by the Mayor of Sandy Springs.

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