Robert Curtis Cole Jr. (-2015)

COLE, PEDERSEN, STATZ

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 9/26/2015 at 15:21:46

Obituary from the Des Moines Register, September 6, 2015:

Robert Curtis Cole Jr. (101) passed away on September 2, 2015. He was the son of Robert C Cole, Sr. and Julia Pierce Cole.

Bob graduated from Hudson High school in Hudson, South Dakota and from Iowa State University, Ames, IA. As a young man in South Dakota he was very active in 4-H, especially in judging livestock and was the state champion in his senior year. As a freshman at Iowa State University, he continued livestock judging and was a member of the Iowa State track and field team.

With the outbreak of World War II he joined the Navy and served for nearly four years, mostly in the South Pacific theatre. In the last year of the war he transferred to the submarine service and was stationed at Pearl Harbor when the war ended.

As a young man Bob stayed busy at the family farm and learned to fly a Taylorcraft airplane. Even though he enjoyed flying his Taylorcraft, he upgraded to a Cessna 140 and has long enjoyed telling tales of his flying adventures. He gave up his airplane to marry Mary Lou Jeep on September 11th 1948.

Bob also kept busy with the Lincoln County Farm Extension Service in South Dakota and served as secretary of the board. He worked with the county and state extension directors to establish the first outlying experimental farm. In 1956 he was named to the list of Who's Who in South Dakota.

In 1956 he moved his family from South Dakota to Story City, IA, to become an instructor in on-the-farm training for Korean War veterans. He later joined the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University. During this time he kept alive his dream of a golf course in Story City. Robert became the City Clerk in Story City and soon convinced the local golfers that a golf course was possible. In 1971, the River Bend golf course opened with Robert as the first golf course superintendent. He found time to play the game he loved and was the first club champion at River Bend. Robert managed the course until his retirement at age 72.

Robert was a woodworker and landscaper. He was a very good carpenter and built a large share of the family home in Story City. He spent countless hours developing his large backyard to where it became one of the attractions in the neighborhood with displays of flowers and plantings.

Robert was a member of the Masonic Lodge and held membership in the Scottish Rite and the York Rite.

Robert was a die-hard Iowa State Cyclone. Bob and Mary Lou were football and basketball season ticket holders for many years and lifetime members of the Iowa State University Alumni Association.

Bob loved playing cards. He enjoyed bridge, cribbage and any other card game he could find. He taught his grandchildren to play cribbage when they were young and continued to enjoy playing cribbage until his death.

Robert is survived by his daughter Sandra Ellen Cole Pedersen (Jhan) of Kremmling, CO and son Stuart Pierce Cole (Julie) of Marion, IA. He has 4 grandchildren: Jeff Pedersen (Jordan) of Grinnell, IA, Josh Pedersen (Emily) of Kremmling, CO and Althea Cole & Robert Carson Cole of Cedar Rapids, IA. He has 4 great-grandchildren, Frances, Nora, Adaline and Daniel Pedersen. He is also survived by two siblings, Jean Cole Statz of Storm Lake, IA and Hobart Cole of Canton, SD. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of nearly 67 years, brothers John and Rolfe and sisters, Mary, Helen and Ruth.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 13th at Grace United Methodist Church in Story City, IA celebrating the lives of both Robert and Mary Lou (who died on August 13, 2015). Visitation is at 2:00pm and the memorial service is at 3:00pm. Cremation rites have been accorded and a private family burial will be held at the Story City cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be made to Grace United Methodist Church.