Frank Boyce Cole

Funeral Services for Frank Cole, 97, of Wewela, SD, were held on Friday, November 11, 2011 at the Assembly of God Church in Winner at 2:00 p.m. with Reverend Randy Hahn and Reverend Milton Douglas officiating. A visitation and prayer service was held Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home in Gregory, SD.

Flower attendants were Faye Condon and Jackie Musilek. Ushers were Randy Richey, Jim Richey, and Ron Turnquist. Brinda Simmons was in charge of the guest book.

Music was provided by JoAnn Jerred, pianist, Jessica Cole, soloist, and Colleen K. Cole, soloist, and congregational hymns.

Casket bearers were Jeremiah Cole, Joshua Cole, Ashley Shannon, David Douglas, Issac Cole, Nathan Albertz, Amber Underhill, and Mikaelah Stark. Honorary pallbearers were all the grandchildren.

Military honors were conferred by Thayer Waters American Legion Post 146 from Colome, SD. Interment was in the Winner Cemetery in Winner, SD.

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Frank Boyce Cole was born July 14, 1914, north of Witten, SD, the son of David C. and Jessie V. (Mackrall) Cole. Frank had seven siblings: Ralph, Howard, Ellen, Louise, Harold, Harry and Robert. They grew up on a farm just north of Old Witten.

At an early age Frank left home and made his way to the West Coast by riding freight trains. In California, July 29, 1931, he was badly burned while fighting a forest fire near Truckee. He came back to Winner to recover and then finished high school, where he was a member of the track and basketball teams. He was married for a short time and a son, Larry Cole, was born.

October 2, 1942, Frank was inducted into the Army at Fort Crook, Nebraska: Private First Class, Battery "B", 205 Coast Artillery (AA). He was hospitalized after injuring his hip in an accident while putting an H-10 bridge across a wash in Salinas Garrison in a rain storm. After his dismissal from the hospital in Los Angeles, he was honorably discharged for medical reasons on July 30, 1943. He faced and overcame many other medical challenges during his life, including polio in 1955.

Frank and Eula (Jenkins) were united in marriage at her parents' home outside Iberia, Missouri in 1943. Each year they celebrated their anniversary on December 18th by having a special supper together.

After their marriage the couple lived in Fremont, NE, while Frank worked on the railroad. In 1945, they moved onto a ranch in Pahapesto Township, Tripp County, and later moved to a ranch in Todd County. In 1951, they moved to Wewela, SD, where Frank purchased the general store and became postmaster in 1952. In 1956, after the store burned down, he moved his business to Hwy 183. He added the Port of Entry in 1957, which he ran for 19 years until it closed in 1977. He retired from the post office shortly after. He always enjoyed working with the public; meeting, helping, visiting and making new friends. Frank had pasture land, which had belonged to his father. He enjoyed driving up to the pasture to picnic, fix fence, hunt, and show the land to visitors.

Frank was a longtime member of the Assembly of God Church in Winner, and also a life member of Colome American Legion Post 146. He enjoyed working, hunting, fishing, reading and playing cribbage. At age 90, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by visiting Alaska with his grandson David. Frank loved to share family history and related stories with all the relatives, especially his nieces and nephews.

Frank Cole was a kind hearted, hardworking man, reliable in all his dealings, a devoted husband, a beloved father and grandfather. He was loved, respected and will be greatly missed by his wife Eula, children: Larry Cole of Watertown, SD - Sharon A. Cole of Wewela, SD - Karen(Milton) Douglas of Buffalo, SD - Juanita (Richard) Peterson of Wewela, SD - David (Colleen J.) Cole of Sioux Falls, SD - Richard (Laura) Cole of Colome, SD - Virginia (Brad) Albertz of Humbolt, Iowa - Colleen K. Cole of Winner, SD - and Teresa Stark of Milliken, CO; and by 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Frank passed away on November 5, 2011 at the Avera Gregory Hospital. He was preceded in death by his parents, all his brothers and sisters, and one grandson, Nicolas Albertz.