Evelyn Marlene Coker of Newton, Mississippi passed away Monday, January 18, 2021 at Forest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She was born August 1, 1942 in Moss Point, Mississippi.

Visitation will be held Saturday January 23, 2021 from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM at Newton County Funeral Home South with funeral services held immediately following in the chapel.  Bro. Joe Garvin and Bro. Wayne Hemmingway will be officiating. Graveside services will be at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church cemetery.

Marlene was a devoted wife and mother.  She was fun-loving, incredibly nurturing and caring, and accepted everyone just as they are.  She was a devout Christian and loved her Lord.  She played piano in church starting at age 13.  'Mimi', as her grandchildren knew her, loved her family with the unconditional love of Jesus and they all loved her the same way.  To her 'Boo', she was the best wife in the world and the love of his life. Some of her last words to her Boo were – "I'm a winner either way.   If I die, I'm in Heaven with Jesus and my family that have gone before me.  If I live, I have you and the rest of the family".  Sometimes we see a beautiful flower that we just want to pick and take home to brighten up our home. Marlene was a beautiful flower in the garden of humanity that God just had to pick and take home to brighten Heaven even more with her voice in the choir and her fingers tickling the ivory on the piano keyboard.  Our words cannot describe how much she was loved and how much she will be missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Nathan 'Shine' Sudduth and Willie Mae 'Bill' Sudduth, and her twin brother Phillip Sudduth.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Jimmy  Coker; children Victor Coker (Tonia) and Cathy May (Michael); grandchildren Robin Lenox (Matthew), Mikayla Carey (Lane), Nathaniel Coker and Nicholas Coker, and one great-grandchild, Rynna Carey.

Pallbearers will be Greg Boggan, Jerry Griffin, Ethan Alexander, Mike Alexander, Butch Newman, and Wendell Boutwell.

Honorary pallbearer is Emmet Bankston.