Coker services set for Wednesday

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Services for Frank Travis Coker, of Wesson, will be held at 11a.m. on Wednesday, June 11, at Clear Branch Baptist Church inLincoln County with burial in Heuck’s Retreat Baptist ChurchCemetery in Lincoln County. Brookhaven Funeral Home on JacksonStreet is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Tuesday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeralhome.

Mr. Coker, 58, died June 8, 2008, at Mississippi Baptist MedicalCenter in Jackson. He was born in Brookhaven on Feb. 9, 1950, toJim Coker and Joyce Travis Coker.

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He was disabled. He was a graduate of Wesson High School,Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and the Mississippi LawEnforcement Academy. He was the former Lincoln County District Twosupervisor, serving one term from 1992-1995. He was a member ofClear Branch Baptist Church.

Mr. Coker was a former chief of police of Wesson and also servedas a Lincoln County deputy sheriff under Sheriff Lynn Boyte. Boytesaid Coker’s personability and integrity were what made him such agood lawman.

“I’ve seen a lot of lawmen come and go, and Frank Coker was oneof the best I’d ever seen as far as dealing with the public,” Boytesaid. “He was a person who loved to work with people, and I neverknew him to abuse his power or privilege.”

Coker will be missed by the many people who admired him, Boytesaid, especially those affiliated with law enforcement and localgovernment.

“There’s going to be a void there,” he said. “Anybody that knewhim would have to speak well of him, and he made a lot of friendswith those in the sheriff’s office and the supervisors, and he’sgoing to be missed.”

Preceding him in death were his parents; his nieces, Kerri Paceand Tina Nesmith; and his sister, Eloise Jones.

Survivors are his wife, Karen Davis Coker, of Wesson; hisdaughters, Ashley Coker, of Wesson, and Amanda Greer and husbandDoni, of Ruth; his grandchildren, Travis, Raven and Rory Greer, allof Ruth; his sisters, Virginia Nesmith and husband Marvin, ofWesson, and Shirley Pace and husband John, of Greenwell Springs,La.; his mother-in-law, Marie Davis, of Independence, La.; RodneyBarker, of Wesson; his sisters-in-law, Rachell Sibley and husbandTrey, and Drinda Graham and husband Steve, all of Amite, La.; hisgrandmother, Dorothy Franklin, of Brookhaven; his very specialbrother-in-law, Glen Jones and wife Judy, of Brookhaven; andnumerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers are Darrell Nesmith, Stan Jones, Lynn Boyte, JohnPaul Martin, Laron Nettles and Lester Powell.

Honorary pallbearers are Rodney Barker, Doni Greer, TravisGreer, Raven Greer, Rory Greer, John Pace, Marvin Nesmith, GlenJones and Trey Sibley.