Roy L. Cole

Roy L. Cole, age 85, of Garnett, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He was born in Garnett, Kansas, on April 11, 1923, the son of Ray D. Cole and Edna Mae (Reinfeld) Cole. He spent his entire life in Anderson County, Kansas, with the exception of three years in 1943 to 1946, that he served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II, and six years thereafter in College and at the Washburn University Law School. He graduated from Garnett High School in 1941, and thereafter was the teacher at Centennial Rural Country School for two terms before his service in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Roy and Evelyn Marjorie Baker were married on August 9, 1943, at Ottawa, Kansas, and to this union their two sons, Douglas and Craig, were born. He was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church in Garnett, and had served as a deacon and on various church committees therein. He served as Anderson County Attorney during 1953 to 1957, and was a lawyer in Garnett from 1951 to November 2001, when he retired. He was a member of the American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, Kansas Bar Association and Masonic Lodge. Roy was preceded in death by his parents; and his wife, Marjorie Cole. He is survived by his two sons, Douglas R. Cole and wife, Carmen, of Collierville, Tennessee; and Craig E. Cole and wife, Jody, of Garnett. He is also survived by his two brothers, Claron Cole and Orville Cole, of Garnett; his sister-in-law, LaVerne Cole of Garnett; his four grandchildren, Melaine (Cole) Vallez and her husband, Alberto, of Memphis, Tennessee, Sterling Cole of Collierville, Tennessee, twins Sophia Cole and Dylan Cole, of Garnett; his great-grandchildren, Olivia and Vaughn Vallez of Memphis; and two nieces and six nephews. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 10:00 am at the First Christian Church, Garnett. Burial will follow in the Garnett Cemetery. The family will be present to greet friends at the funeral home on Friday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church of Garnett.