Clay County AlArchives Obituaries.....Coker, Thurman November 29, 1942
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 January 6, 2023, 3:54 pm

Ashland Progress
The entire population of Ashland and surrounding territory was shocked and 
grieved when the news came last Monday morning that Thurman Coker had been 
drowned in the Tallapoosa River at the ferry between Lineville and Wedowee 
Sunday evening.  It seems that while crossing the river, the car began to move 
on the ferry but Mr. Coker hadn't realized that it was moving until the ferryman 
called his attention to it, so he being seated in his car attempted to apply his 
brakes and evidently became frightened and threw it in reverse gear and backed 
off into the water. The supposition is that he escaped from the car by climbing 
through a window but was unable to swim. The automobile was gotten out of the 
river early Monday morning, and it was then learned who the drowned man was by 
some papers found in the car. Searching parties spent Sunday night, Monday and 
the early hours of Tuesday in quest of the body. Mr. Coker was a son of Mr. and 
Mrs. Roy Coker. He was a graduate of the Jacksonville State Teachers College, 
taught school in the county and for the past year or more has been employed by 
the Dupont Company in Childersburg. School officials who were associated with 
Mr. Coker state that he was a young man of exceptional ability and intelligence 
and that in every undertaking he endeavored to carry it to the highest point. 
While teaching at Barfield a few years ago he coached one of the outstanding 
basketball teams in this section. His students are said to have advanced under 
his tutorship and with his likable disposition and persistent demand for clean 
sportsmanship, he was not only missed in the teaching profession of the county, 
but also in the athletic activities. After leaving the teaching profession, he 
secured a place with the Dupont Company, and his ability was soon recognized. In 
fact, company officials had his draft number deferred several times, but at his 
own insistence he declined to accept another deferment and on the day before his 
death he received his call to enter the Navy on Dec. 9th, having a few weeks ago 
enlisted in this branch of the Service, subject to call. The deceased was 33 
years of age and is survived by his parents, one' brother, J. B. Coker, of New 
York; four sisters, Mrs. S. S. Davidson and Miss Geneva Coker of Talladega, and 
Misses Pebble, Vernell and Betty of Ashland, Route 1. Funeral services were held 
at Liberty Hill on Wednesday afternoon conducted by Rev. C. B. Pascal, assisted 
by Rev. C. L. Ellis. Burial was in the Liberty Hill cemetery, Blair in charge. 
Pallbearers were Paul Thomas, Otto Gaither, Hiram Brooks, 0. L. Jordan, Sylvian 
Davidson, Bill White, F. M. Allen and Orin Luker.

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