Archie Cornelius

Archie J. Cornelius, age 74, retiree of Phillips Petroleum Company, passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at his home in Bartlesville. He was born October 16, 1931 at Westmoreland, Kansas. He graduated from high school in 1949 at Vermillion, Kansas, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track. He was engaged on farming on the family farm until enlisting in the United States Army in 1953, during the Korean War. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army in 1955, he attended Kansas State University where he earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, graduating in 1958 with high honors. He was a member of Sigma Tau, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Tau Sigma, A.I.M.E. and Kansas Engineering Society Honorary organizations. He did research on one of the first steam floods of an oil field for Exxon in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1958 until 1961. He then attended Oklahoma State University, earning an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963. From 1963 until 1965 he did research on heat transfer problems with nuclear reactors at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, Illinois while completing his thesis for a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. In 1965 he joined Phillips Petroleum Company Research and Development, specializing in enhanced oil recovery methods. He worked in Odessa, Texas as a reservoir engineer from 1972 until 1974, when he returned to Bartlesville to work with the reservoir engineering staff of the Exploration and Production Group. He retired from Phillips Petroleum Company in 1986 after serving as staff director of enhanced oil recovery. Dr. Cornelius has several published papers in the engineering field, holds 13 U.S. patents and several foreign patents dealing with enhanced oil recovery. He was a member of the Frank Phillips Club, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (where he served in various offices, including Bartlesville Section President), the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the James H. Teel American Legion Post #105. He served for many years with the American Legion burial detail, providing full military honors for deceased veterans. While his four children were growing up in Bartlesville, he was Cubmaster of the Limestone Cub Scouts and was a little league baseball coach. Dr. Cornelius enjoyed several hobbies, including gardening, woodworking, golf, fishing, and antiquing. Dr. Cornelius and JoAnna Berger were married July 26, 1953 at the Methodist Church in Vermillion, Kansas. His surviving children are Becki A. Smith and her husband Jon of Odessa, Texas, Ron E. Cornelius and his wife Mila of Dallas, Texas, Cheryl S. Jones and her husband Larry of Kemp, Texas, and Joe J. Cornelius of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. His surviving grandchildren include Jacob B. Rolls of Brooklyn, New York, Andrew J. Rolls of Odessa, Texas, Mackenzie A. Smith of Odessa, Texas, and Michaele J. Smith of Odessa, Texas. He has one great-grandson, Bryson G. Rolls of Austin, Texas. He has one surviving brother, Kay Cornelius of Fort Worth, Texas, and two surviving sisters: LaVon Lord of Topeka, Kansas and Beth Snook of Topeka, Kansas. His parents, Archie L. and Marie K. Cornelius, preceded him in death, as did an older brother, Wylie K. Cornelius. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that anyone who would like to contribute to the memory of Dr. Cornelius please make a donation to Employability (Formerly A.R.C.), 501 SW Virginia, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003 or to a memorial of their choice. Funeral services for Dr. Cornelius will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 22, 2006 at the Colonial Chapel of the Neekamp-Luginbuel Funeral Home. Rev. Buz Wierick of the First United Methodist Church of Bartlesville, Ok. will preside over the services, with interment to follow in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Military honors for Dr. Cornelius will be provided by the James H. Teel American Legion Post #105 honor guard. Funeral services are under the direction of the Neekamp-Luginbuel Funeral Home. Online condolences for Dr. Archie J. Cornelius can be left at www.honoringmemories.com.

Service Details

Saturday, July 22nd, 2006 10:00am, Neekamp-Luginbuel Funeral Home

Interment Details

Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville