Longtime coroner dies at 81

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Feb. 6, 2004
Former Lauderdale County Coroner and Medical Examiner Marl Cobler died Thursday at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian following a long illness.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. today at Barham Funeral Home, 7774-A Highway 39. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the funeral home chapel, with burial in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Cobler, 81, first took office as county coroner in January 1980. He served as deputy coroner for 20 years before he was elected to the office.
Cobler did not seek re-election last year because of his illness. His son, Marl Clayton Cobler III, served as deputy corner until he won the job of coroner in last year's elections.
Cobler also is survived by his wife, Kitty Keene Cobler; two daughters, Lynda Barrentine and Sandra Hammon; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Cobler spent 44 years investigating deaths in Lauderdale County and answered more than 10,500 calls during his service.
Before he worked for the county, Cobler worked with Stephens Funeral Home for several years.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a member of St. Johns Blue Lodge, York Rite and Hamasa Shrine. He also was a member of Central United Methodist Church, Meridian Organ Club, and several other civic clubs.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie characterized Cobler as a hard-working professional.
Clarence Butler, coordinator of Lauderdale County's volunteer fire departments and the county's emergency management director, said Cobler was well thought of by everyone who knew him.
Dale Stampley, who served as deputy coroner and coroner of Newton County for a total of 16 years, also said Cobler will be greatly missed.