Joe Hubb
Collier, born on September 22, 1921, departed
this life on March 16th,
2009 at the
age of 87
years. Joe Hubb was the second of three
sons born to
Clifton and Carrie Moseley Collier. He
was born in
Ringling, OK, but moved
to Artesia, NM by way of Loop and
Friona, TX. He entered school there in
the 5th grade
and graduated from
Artesia High School in 1937. After
attending New
Mexico State University for one semester, he
answered his
dad’s
urgent request to return home to the
farm where he farmed 250 acres of cotton,
alfalfa and row
crops.
The family
later
moved back to Friona where Hubb continued
farming.
During this time, his
mom invited him to go with her to
the local revival meeting. On the second
night of
the meeting, he made the
decision that would forever change his life;
He accepted
Jesus into his heart and life. Hubb’s
career in
farming came
to an end when he was drafted into
the military. He sold the farm, moved
his mom back
to Ringling and joined
the Naval Air Corp where he served for 3
years with
Squadrons 198, 200, and
98.
On
November 30,
1946, Joe Hubb married
Jerri Smith, a beautician, from Lone Grove,
OK. They
became best friends and partners in
marriage for the next
62
years. They have three
children: Jo Nell Collier of Muskogee,
OK;
Jerry Sue Hollis of
Bolivar, MO; and Ron Collier of Collierville,
TN.
Joe Hubb made a
living working in the
oilfield and
in oilfield
supply. During this time, the Lord led
him to
take
his pastor to an
Evangelism Conference in Albuquerque, NM where he
surrendered to preach the gospel under the preaching and
guidance of Dr. W.A.
Criswell.
At the end of the
service, Dr. Criswell shared Joe Hubb’s
decision with the
congregation and
proclaimed him a “Giant for God.” He
returned home
and practiced preaching to the oil wells
that he was
pumping.
Hubb
moved
his family to Shawnee
and
attended Oklahoma Baptist
University from 1958-1962 while
working at Tinker
Air
Force Base and
preaching at churches in the area. In his preaching
career, he pastored 28 churches in OK, TX, and MO starting
11 from
scratch. With the
Lord’s help, he became
adept at growing the membership
in the Sunday School and
church at
each location to which he was led.
Throughout
his years of serving the Lord, he taught
classes at Falls
Creek and
served on various committees of
the Southern Baptist Convention at the
associational,
state and national
levels.
Like
another well known Okie,
Joe Hubb
never met a man (or
woman or child) that he didn’t
like. But a
difference was that Joe Hubb would
(1) make sure that the
folks he met knew
Jesus as their personal Savior and (2)
that they were attending Sunday School
and church.
He had a rare, but
wonderful, reputation of witnessing to
anything that
moved. This activity continued up
until the day that
he went
home to be with His
Lord.
Preceding Joe
Hubb in death were his parents and his brothers,
Rayburn
Collier and David C.
Collier.
He is
survived by his loving wife
Jerri,
three children, seven
grandchildren and fourteen great
grandchildren.
Other survivors
include two sister-in-laws, Mary Collier of
Roswell, New
Mexico and Jimmie Collier of Artesia, New
Mexico, along
with a host
of
friends.
A
memorial service
will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009
at 10 am at
Olivet Baptist Church in
Tulsa,
OK.
In lieu of
flowers, donations
can be made to the Baptist Children’s
Home in Tulsa,
OK.
Burial
will be
held Thursday afternoon, at
4 P.M. in the Lone
Grove Cemetery at Lone Grove, OK.
Submitted by: Andrew
Lee Bristol
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