Walter Coker

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Walter Coker, 98, formerly of Harrisburg, passed away at 5:20 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, at the Carrier Mills Nursing Home.

Walter was born on Oct. 15, 1911, in Arlington, Ky., to the late Zachery and Linda (Gardener) Coker. He married Mary Chester on Sept. 1, 1940, and she survives.

Walter was a retired diesel mechanic for Sahara Coal Company, and a member of the First United Methodist Church of Harrisburg. He was in the Army Air Corp.

Walter is survived by his wife, Mary of Carrier Mills; daughter, Martha McDermott and husband Charles of The Villages, Fla.; son, Richard Coker of Kent, Wash.; four grandchildren, Jonathan Gabrys, Christopher Gabrys, Julianne Wells and Laura Blandford; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Houston Coker and Preston Coker; and sister, Loda Hawkins.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at Reed Funeral Chapel in Harrisburg. The Rev. David Estep will officiate and burial will follow in Sunset Lawn Cemetery. Military graveside rites will be conducted by the Harrisburg American Legion Post No. 167. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, at Reed Funeral Chapel.

Condolences may be sent to the family through the obituary page at the Internet site www.reedfuneralchapel.com.