JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- If you live on the Eastside near Bridier Street, you know Miss Margarine Cobb.
"She's very well known around here," Reid Parks said.
Cobb spent the majority of her 86 years of life in this home, now a complete loss. The flames and damage were captured by the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters.
Cobb's daughter Mildred Chambers watched helplessly this morning as it all unfolded.
"She was a very Christian lady. She taught us very well about the Lord. So that makes it, for me, a little easier to accept. But as a human that's just the way it is," she said.
Cobb not only mothered 11 of her own and had numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but she shepherded everyone around her. Area kids grew up doing ceramic, pottery and other crafts at her home.
Chambers says that's just the kind of woman she was.
"She was a beautiful person, in and out. She was very loving in the community. She would not let anything stop her from helping anyone any way she could," she continued.
Though Cobb is gone, her legacy will live on in this neighborhood. Her kind soul and corner-house presence is something Reid Parks will never forget.
"Walk around, and the next morning it's gone. Tough loss, real bad loss. Hurt the whole community," Parks said.
At this time, fire officials do not know what caused the blaze.
Cobb's family released the following statement:
"She was 86 years old. We are devastated by the loss of our beloved mother and grandmother. In her life, she was known as a woman of God who cherished life and her family. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from friends and neighbors. We know many of you mourn with us and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."
