Former area teacher Sonya Nanette Hancock Coker of Shawnee died Tuesday at the age of 61.

She was born August 5, 1937, in Okmulgee to Omer and Florence Hancock.

She was reared in Okmulgee and attended Okmulgee schools where she graduated in 1955. She also studied piano at Tulsa University while in secondary school. She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and music from Oklahoma Baptist Unversity in 1960.

She married Jimmie Dale Coker in Okmulgee on August 20, 1955, and began her teaching career at Dale in 1960. She taught at Dale, Altus, Mid-Del Schools and Bethel before retiring in 1991 after thirty one years.

She was a member of New Hope Baptist Church where she had served as pianist for sixteen years.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Surviving are her husband, Jim D. Coker, of the home; son and daughter-in-law, Jimmie Dale Jr. and Robin Coker, Prague; son, Cary Russell Coker, Oklahoma City; brother and sister-in-law, Omer "Butch" and Judy Hancock, Abilene, Texas; five granddaughters, Tara Owen, Calya and Corbin Coker, Jordan and Hannah Coker; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Johnny and Billie Coker, Tecumseh; Betty and J. D. Lester, Sapulpa; Phillip and Dolores Coker, Shawnee; Martha and Darrel Lanier, Oklahoma City, and many other relatives and friends.

Services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday at New Hope Baptist Church with John Mixon officiating, assisted by John Coker III.

Burial will be at New Hope Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home of Tecumseh.

The casket will be open until service time Friday and will not be opened after the service.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Shawnee, New Hope Building Fund or the American Cancer Society.

Published December 10, 1998.