BRENT COLEMAN

Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Brent began life as Brent Baugh. His family then moved to Aberdeen, MS. They later moved to Nashville, TN, where Brent was adopted by his stepfather. By 1955, Brent, back in Aberdeen again, was a graduate of Aberdeen High School. He joined the military and served in the 10th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army until 1961. In 1958, Brent married his sweetheart, Mabel Cummings, and they are still happily together today. They raised two children, Richard, and Phyllis, and they are grandparents.

Brent has worked in oil fields, and as a railroad engineer, and a truck driver. He attended Itawamba Community College in 1974-75 and began a new career in 1980. He is best known for that new career, in law enforcement, and for his other career, writing.

For over sixteen years, starting in 1988, Brent was elected, re-elected, and served, as Aberdeen's Chief of Police. Prior to becoming Chief, Brent was Assistant Chief, and Narcotics Investigator. Today he is an Investigator with the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, under Sheriff Andy Hood.

Brent was elected Outstanding Male Citizen in the annual Aberdeen Examiner citizen vote six different years, the final year being 2002. He was also awarded an Outstanding Award by the Aberdeeb Jaycees. Brent has received numerous law enforcement awards and letters of appreciation, both on state-level and national, from organizations such as Mississippi Chief's of Police Association, Mississippi State Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Attorney General's Office, and State of California Police Chief..

As a writer, Brent is well-known to readers of Tombigbee Country Magazine. His feature stories have appeared in every monthly copy of Tombigbee Country from the time of its beginnings under Clyde Wilson, until Clyde's death a decade later, in 2009. Brent's work has also appeared in the second largest weekly newspaper in the state, the Columbus Packet, Roger Larson, editor. Besides Tombigbee Country Magazine, Brent's stories have appeared the magazines Old Tennessee Valley, and the Oxford So & So.

Ever the historian, Brent has one of the largest railroad memorabilia collections seen anywhere. Brent also has a collection of country music memorabilia, perhaps started from the days in Nashville when his mother was on a first-name basis with some of Nashville's greatest legends, or perhaps from the days when Brent Coleman was an inspiring musician.

Brent's mother owned a cafe next to the Gulf Ordnance Plant in Prairie. As a small child, Brent saw the Gulf Ordnance Plant at its highest peaks of performance as one of the top ammunitions plant in the United States.

The Gulf Ordnance book of 2002 by Brent Coleman, has become part of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as a permanent record.