Sumter County FlArchives Biographies.....COLEMAN, ABEL THOMAS October 25, 1858 - 
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Nancy Rayburn Naev@earthlink.net January 24, 2008, 2:41 pm

Author: The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1923,  Vol. II p311

	COLEMAN, ABEL THOMAS.  There are very few men without some ambition, 
but not all of them by any manner of means are able to carry out their aims 
and live up to their won expectations.  ABEL THOMAS COLEMAN, sheriff of Sumter 
County, is one of the men of this region whose greatest ambition is to be the 
best sheriff this county has ever had in office, and while he may not reach 
his own limit of achievement, he is living up to the highest conception of his 
fellow citizens with reference to this office, as is proven by the fact that 
they returned him to office, and the further one that they stand back of him 
in all of his progressive movements.  Mr. COLEMAN is a man of the people.  For 
many years he was poor, and had to struggle hard each step of his way, but, 
perhaps because of this, he has earned the reputation of getting whatever he 
goes after whether it be personal success, public improvements, or escaping 
criminals.
	ABEL THOMAS COLEMAN was born at Abbeville, Georgia, October 25, 1858, 
a son of WILLIAM and EMILY (WRIGHT) COLEMAN, the former born in Wilcox County, 
Georgia, and the latter in Putnam County, Georgia.  WILLIAM COLEMAN was killed 
in battle February 8, 1864, while serving in the Confederate Army.  His 
untimely death left his widow to the support of ABEL THOMAS and an elder 
brother, and the two lads worked hard at whatever came their way to take care 
of her.  Much schooling was out of the question, and Sheriff COLEMAN acquired 
the greater part of his education after he was a man grown.
	Until 1866 Sheriff COLEMAN lived in Georgia but in that year came to 
Florida, and for a time was a resident of Leesburg.  Subsequently he came to 
Sumter County, and for seven years engaged in farming, which occupation had 
been his calling in Georgia.  In 1873 he became a marine engineer on 
steamboats plying on the Suwannee River, the Gulf of Mexico and the 
Withlacoochee River, and he continued in this line of work until 1904, when he 
returned to Sumter County.  During his life on a steamboat he came into 
contact with all classes of men, and learned how to handle them and the 
motives which govern them, and this experience has been of great advantage to 
him in office.  For some years he was engaged in farming, and still has large 
agricultural interests near Bushnell.  In 1905 he was elected sheriff of 
Sumter County, and with the exception of a part of one term has served in that 
office ever since.  He has made his office self-supporting, and has inspired 
the feeling that he is not an official to be trifled with, although the wrong 
doers know that he will see that each one of them receive fair treatment.  
Therefore, while underworld fears him, they all give him an unqualified 
respect, and many bestow upon him a confidence none other could extract.  
Sheriff COLEMAN is not only a just man, he is a good one as well, and is 
sincere in his profession of Christianity through his membership with the 
Baptist Church, of which he is a deacon.  During the late war Sheriff COLEMAN 
acted as chairman of the Draft Board of his community, and all of his war work 
was active in character.  In fact, everything he does is of that nature, for 
he is not a man to sit back and give orders; he acts them, and others have 
difficulty in keeping up with him.  As a citizen he has been keenly interested 
in and identified with all progressive and constructive work for the benefit 
of the community and the uplifting of humanity.  He is equally zealous in 
behalf of the Masonic fraternity.
	Sheriff COLEMAN has been twice married.  His first wife bore the 
maiden name of JEANETTE G. CARRUTHERS, and she died, leaving two living 
children; Mrs. MAYBELLE MORRIS, who is a resident of Tampa, Florida; and 
WILLIAM THOMAS, who is deputy sheriff under his father, and is a veteran of 
the World war.  Sheriff COLEMAN married for his second wife Mrs. ANNIE (WARD) 
FIELDS, of Sumter County, a member of one of the pioneer families of this 
region.  There are no children of this marriage.  Mrs. COLEMAN is also active 
in church work, and ably seconds her husband in his efforts to raise the 
standards of morality in the city and county.


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