Gov. Roy Cooper recently bestowed the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award to Oakboro native Rev. J.N. Coble. The award was presented by Marshville Town Manager Frank Deese.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the most prestigious award presented by the Governor of
North Carolina. It is the highest civilian honor that anyone can receive in the state of North Carolina.

Marshville Town Manager Frank Deese presents the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award to Oakboro native Rev. J.N. Coble. (Contributed)

As an Order of the Long leaf honoree, Coble is now included on a roster maintained by the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society, joining the North Carolina recipients such as Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Michael Jordan, Dean Smith and Oprah Whinfrey, along with his brother Joe Robert Coble, who is also an Oakboro native, just to name a few.

He has been the pastor of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Marshville for 44 years. He is a resident of the Burnsville community of Polkton.