Robert Edward Cobb (1942-1997) Newspaper Publisher and Spanish and Journalism Instruction at Maryville High School

The above photo is from the 1967 Maryvillian

Robert E. Cobb was a journalism teacher at the high school at the time.  His son Phil Cobb purchased the Forum from Gatehouse Media in 2013, making Maryville one of the few cities in the country to have a locally owned newspaper. He sold it to the Garners in 2012 and then reacquired it in February 2026.  Robert was once city editor for the Forum.  He once owned the Albany Ledger, Stanberry Headlight and King City Tri-County News.

Cobb suffered with polio and walked with a cane, but that did not stop him from coaching.

Beloved coach, editor dies at 57
By MARISA AGHA marisaa@npgco.com St. Joseph News-Press
St. Joseph News-Press, November 23, 1997, Page 3. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-joseph-news-press-obituary-for-rober/202193749/ 

Robert “Bob” Cobb, longtime owner and editor of the Tri-County News in King City, died Friday in St. Joseph. He was 57. Mr. Cobb, who also spent many years teaching and coaching at local schools, was known for his bravery in overcoming many physical obstacles, including a childhood bout with polio that permanently impaired his legs.

Steve Tinnen, 46, said Mr. Cobb was his baseball coach at Plattsburg Junior High in the 1960s. He remembers playing basketball with the coach. “The thing about Bob was that he was so courageous,” Mr. Tinnen said. “He never let his handicap stop him from doing anything. What we took for granted, he went ahead and did out of sheer courage and determination.” Mr. Tinnen, an editor at the Clinton County Leader in Plattsburg, also knew his former coach later in the professional realm. He enjoyed attending press meetings with his former coach and admired his journalistic ability.

“He was a gifted writer,” Mr. Tinnen said. “He enjoyed being an editor.” Mr. Cobb, a Darlington, Mo., native, was living in King City where he taught Spanish and coached girls’ and boys’ golf at the high school. He also taught at schools in south Nodaway, Mo., Maryville, Mo., Plattsburg, Mo., and Odessa, Mo. He is survived by his wife, Lana; his parents, Henry and Evelyn Cobb of Stanberry; his son, Phil Cobb of King City; and two grandchildren.

Findagrave Entry for Burial at King City Cemetery 

Name Robert Edward Cobb
Birth Date 7 Mar 1942 (Note his draft card indicated birth of March 7, 1940)
Birth Place Gentry County, Missouri, United States of America (Note: Darlington)
Death Date 21 Nov 1997
Death Place Gentry County, Missouri, United States of America (Note: King City, Missouri residence although he died at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri)
Cemetery King City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place King City, Gentry County, Missouri, United States of America
Has Bio? N
Father
Henry Leon Cobb
Mother
Evelyn Lucille Cobb

Robert Cobb on Northwest Misourian staff in 1961 Tower Yearbook

Colorized image of Robert Cobb with Orval Heywood from the 1967 Maryvillian

Above is colorized photo from the 1967 Maryvillian Yearbook

King City Tri Counties

King City, Missouri, is located in southwestern Gentry County. The area is commonly referred to as the “Tri-County” region because it serves as the central hub near the meeting point of Gentry, DeKalb, and Andrew counties. [1, 2, 3]

Here are the specific details regarding the three counties and their relation to the city:

• Gentry County: King City is officially located in southwestern Gentry County, which is where the city’s government and administration are based. [1]
• DeKalb County: The border for DeKalb County is just south of the city (King City sits three-quarters of a mile north of the Gentry-DeKalb county line). [1]
• Andrew County: This county lies just to the west of the city limits.