In Reflection
“Jesus said. . .’I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” . . . John 1 1:25, 26
Saturday evening, December 7, 2013, Brother Emanuel Coker peacefully departed this life at his home in Blackville, SC. Brother Coker was born January 4, 1932, to the late Emanuel Coker, Sr., and the late Liddie Mae Coker Giles in Barnwell County, SC.
Brother Coker united with God at an early age and became a member of the Shrub Branch Missionary Baptist Church after moving back to Blackville, SC. Brother Coker attended public school in Blackville, SC.
Brother Coker loved to travel, fish, and barbeque on his grill. After 20 years of working on the railroad, he retired from Southern Railway Systems and began his full time hobbies of fishing, yard work and gardening and when he wasn’t outdoors he loved puzzle books. Brother Coker was a quiet man with a heart for helping others.
On Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954, Brother Coker married Annette Pressey Coker and enjoyed 52 years of matrimony before she preceded him in death in 2006. From this union four children were born.
Three brothers preceded Brother Coker in death: James, Willie, and Pernell Coker.
Left to cherish Brother Coker’s memory are his children: Nadine R. Coker of Columbus, GA, Valerie C. Dargan of Charlotte, NC, Emanuel “Tony” Coker, III of Columbia, SC, and Terrence Eugene Coker (Sabrina) of Charlotte, NC; Two adopted daughters: Clary Cormier of Blackville, SC and Stella Johnson of Columbus, GA; One sister, Mary C. Hammonds (Clarence) of Columbia, SC; One brother, Curtis Coker (Lucille) of Charlotte, NC; Sisters-in-laws: Ida Mae Coker of Winston-Salem, NC, Jerri Coker of Bay Shore, NY, Elouise Raysor of Blackville, SC, Zelma Harvey (Harold) of Greenville, TX, and Josephine Owens of Amityville, NY; Brothers-in-law: Eugene Pressey (Nora) of Greenville, SC, Lloyd Pressey (Christine) of Brooklyn, NY and Willie E. Pressey (Sarah) of Amityville, NY; Eight grandchildren; Two great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
The memory of his hospitality, friendliness, and readiness to help others will continue to rest in the hearts of those that knew him; and his motivation to help others will continue to be a living testimony to those he served as a living legacy of generations to come.
