Coker Cemetery Association, San Antonio, Texas

Trustees

C.A. (Butch) Gerfers
President

Carl Ohlenbusch
Vice-President

Bob Battaglia
Secretary/Historian

David Schneider
Treasurer

Sid Autry
Carl Coker
James Coker
Homer Olsen
Tex Tomasini

V. Royce Jones
1917 - 2011
President Emeritus
Arthur Nagel
1920 - 2010
Vice-President Emeritus

James Belton Coker
January 2, 2015

click here to read the obituary

  Coker Cemetery History #32                 Top

  by Bob Battaglia

Below is a story that came from Nancy Hale Harrison, widow of James M. Harrison, as told to her by her late in-laws, W. W. (Bill) and Allie Harrison.

A story from the Civil War, somewhere in Tennessee

Kate Augustin Berry Harrison, the mother of W. W. (Bill) Harrison, was a small child during the Civil War. Her father, Augustin Berry, a Confederate officer, had come home during the fighting (for an injury or an illness, I think). The Union Army came through the area, pillaging and burning everything. They would go through the homes, destroying what they did not take, tearing apart the feather beds and pouring molasses over them to ruin them.

Kate’s mother threw Kate on the feather bed, hoping the soldiers would leave her and the feather bed alone. Meanwhile, Kate’s father, in his Confederate uniform, went out on the front porch to meet the Union soldiers as they came riding up. The Union officer saw Augustin's Mason's pin on his uniform, and being a Mason himself, instructed his men to leave and not bother the house or the people in it. The officer saluted Augustin and rode off behind his men.

Below is a picture I received from Mary Ann Tomasini Soultaire:

Old Coker School – 1923

************************************************

If you have interesting stories, newspaper articles or photographs about our early Coker ancestors, please send them in. My email address is: Bob@CokerCemetery.com.

    Top