| Graduation Year | Class of 1952 |
| Date of Passing | (unknown) |
| About | Every High School class has one I suppose. He is never elected or even appointed. He just takes over the responsibilities. This position likely only exists in small town school where the enrollment is low and the few classmates are known as family. In eighteenth century times a Town Crier was appointed as an officer of the court to make public pronouncements in the streets or marketplace of the community. The position appealed to certain outgoing personality types and required a distinct voice with popular appeal. The populace was thereby informed as to current events and the goings and doings of its citizens. Such a position was important and certainly limited the gossip wagon from spreading misinformation. McFarland, California 1952 is a classic example. Upon graduation maintaining contact with separating classmates seemed critical to these 42 graduating bonded friends. Town population nearly 5000 and High school enrollment 212 with a senior graduating class of 42. Most members of this class were together from first grade and practically lived together for twelve delightful years. After graduation staying together seemed important. Because the town is small most graduating students move away from there either for higher education, marriage, or job opportunities in larger thriving communities. Leaving parents and siblings is difficult but separating from school friends is equally hard. Seeing my friend Gene Skelton and my girl friend Pat Davis Monday through Friday was almost an addiction. I even knew the color of all Gene’s school shirts and if I got new shoes he knew it immediately. If Pat was absent for a day I was distressed. Many of us enrolled in college programs in schools scattered around Southern California. Many girls married, not to local boys, and moved away. The military became a career for a few but fortunately there were no wars so that became a safe career choice for some who achieved good success. However, a family must stay together, so one graduate, Don Coker, became the unofficial coordinator of communication. Don was an unenthusiastic student but loved by all. He tended to be a little on the edge of rebellion and not seemed destined for adult success. He was a reasonably good athlete and joined all the sports teams for the camaraderie if nothing else. He was a friend to classmates both older and younger. He was ideally suited for following the lives of all former students of the high school as he remained a resident of McFarland for several years. Don was a born entrepreneur starting when he was a preteen. He learned of an illegal card game with high stakes held in the alleyway room behind the Dew drop Inn. He would slip in with an unsuspecting player and hide under the game table with his shoe shine kit. He would shine the players shoes for tips until discovered by management and thrown out of the room. We always wondered how he had more money each week than the rest of us getting by on meager allowances. As an adult he actually managed to have great success in the residential building trade. He discovered a Federal housing loan program available for low income housing. Don managed to construct 20% of the new homes, more than 500, in McFarland purchased by many of the local farm employed families. A McFarland street is named Coker Ave. Don maintained friendships with local businessmen and the successful farmers which gave him credibility in the community. His eldest son later became the Mayor of McFarland who remains an active popularly elected City Councilman to this day. Don married a wonderful woman and raised a large family of children and grandchildren. He and I reconnected after about twenty years and we resumed our best friendship. For more than ten years we spoke by phone at least every two weeks and together we prompted regular class reunions for our own class and often combined with others. He was my ear to the community and regularly reported career changes, marriages, deaths and news of interest which I relayed to my circle high school classmates including Lee Barnes in Arkansas, Gene Skelton in the Las Angeles area and MerlIn Bowman in Oregon. Don knew the addresses of every classmate and the location of many others. He attended all funerals and after moving to Bakersfield he engaged in a daily coffee session with a few old McFarland friends. When I spoke with classmates they always asked, “How is Coker?” Don always ended our phone conversations with the statement that he and I would turn out the lights on the class of 1952. Don battled emphysema and COPD for five years and passed away in 2015 with colon cancer. That leaves it to me! His voice is silent, the conduit of information is quiet. The TOWN CRIER Is no more. |
