Thank you Chris Coble

I was surprised when the envelope addressed to my friend, Chris Coble, was returned to our home.

The US Postal Service placed two yellow stickers on the front of the envelope: Return To Sender Not Deliverable As Addressed Unable To Forward.

I rechecked the address. It was correct.

I reached out to my friend, Bruce Bowen. We both had worked with Chris at Hermitage High School. Chris had been one of the secretaries in the school office. I knew Bruce had been better at keeping in touch with Chris than I had.

Sadly, Bruce told me that Chris had passed away. One of Chris’ daughters had informed Bruce. The daughter stated that declining health over the last few months wore her down.
There are many angels walking around on earth. Chris was one of them.

School offices in a large high school can be chaotic. I think Chris had a heart for understanding that human chaos. Grumpy parents, disruptive students, and struggling staff members were assisted by Mrs. Coble. Maybe they were accommodated because she understood their challenges.

Chris and I bonded over a genre of country music that had gradually lost its popularity—cowboy songs.

American singer and songwriter, Michael Martin Murphey, who had a hit record about a horse named “Wildfire” rejuvenated his career as a singer of cowboy songs.

In fact his album Cowboy Songs sparked Warner Brothers Records to form a separate recording label, Warner Western, dedicated to recording artists who wrote and sang about life west of the Mississippi River.

Chris’ sister, Carolyn, was a secretary at the musicians union in Nashville. I guess at some point Chris talked with Carolyn about these Warner Western recordings that I shared with Chris and her husband, Ron.

One day, in the Hermitage office, Chris summoned me to her desk. She told me she was going to transfer a call into my office.

I walked back into the office picked up the phone. On the line was Carolyn, she had with her Joey Miskulin. Mr. Miskulin is the accordion player for Riders In The Sky, a session musician, and a record producer in Nashville.

Riders In The Sky is a trio that performs western songs with a dose of humor. You probably have heard them performing songs from the Pixar movie Toy Story 2.

For a few minutes, I had the pleasure of speaking with a patient Mr. Miskulin. A few weeks later an autographed copy of the latest Riders In The Sky recording was handed off to me from Chris courtesy of Carolyn.

That was Chris Coble’s heart at work.

I don’t remember the timing, but at some point, Chris’ husband, Ron, made a decision to retire. Searcy, Arkansas is were they landed. I think they had some family there.

We continued to keep in touch via Christmas cards, letters, and once in awhile a phone call. Chris had beautiful handwriting. Her elementary school teachers would have been proud of the graceful elegance found in each word and sentence.

In one of my desk drawer’s, I keep an expandable folder labeled cards and notes. No doubt, I am a sentimental, softhearted pack rat. When it comes to handwritten notes from family, friends, and sometimes strangers, I have kept many.

I went through that folder today. I found eight handwritten cards and letters from Chris. I skimmed through some of them. There was always an update about her family—children and grandchildren. Her family stories and experiences whether good or challenging often gave me valuable insights as I navigated life.

Sometimes an article clipped from a magazine or newspaper was included. She sent a stellar one about cowboy poet, Baxter Clark. Occasionally, we shared book titles about World War II history that we had read. Chris recalled quite a bit about World War II.

As she continued to age, Chris never worried about the competency of her mind, but she would reference how her body was wearing out.

If you became friends with Chris while she lived in Searcy, Sunday, May 18, 2025 was a sad day. That’s when Chris flew into the wild blue yonder.

The concise obituary covered all the bases. The only surprise was that Chris requested no funeral service. I loved this sentence from the obituary: “God blessed her with gifts of a curious mind, thoughtful friendship, and the ministry of hospitality.”

From what I knew of Chris, those words truly captured her.

Years ago, I pulled out from the attic my wife’s Religion 101 Bible from her freshman year at Greensboro College. I still use that Bible today.

Inside the book of Proverbs, I have kept Chris’ handwritten note from September 26, 2001. Just under where she signed her name, Chris wrote: Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Somehow, I think Chris knew I needed those words: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”

From the way Chris led her life, I believe those words rang true to her too.

I will miss hearing from Chris, but I’m very thankful that she was an irreplaceable friend for all these years.