Obit: Cole, Richard #3 (1945 - 2007)

Contact: R. Lipprandt
Email: bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: BALLENGER, COLE, GEARHART, NOELDNER, NEUMANN, PLASKEY, RACHU, SCHULTZ, SPUHLER

----Sources: The Tribune-Phonograph, Vol. 47, No. 31, Wed., Aug 1, 2007, p 11

Cole, Richard (20 May 1945 - 18 Jul 2007)

Richard Cole, 62, Colby, died Wednesday, July 18th, 2007, in the Town of Holton.

Services were held July 23rd at Zion Lutheran Church in Colby with the Reverend Mark Neumann presiding. Interment will be in the Abbotsford Public cemetery at a later date. Pallbearers were Greg, Josh and T.J. Cole, Tom Spuhler, Cole Noeldner, Louie Plaskey and Levi Ballenger.

Richard was born May 20th, 1945, in the Town of Holton to Arthur and Myrtle (Schultz) Cole. He attended Colby Grade School and was a 1964 graduate of Colby, Wis. High School.

He was in the Army from 1964 to 1967 and with the 101st Airborne during the Viet Nam War.

Richard married Sharon Rachu on June 15th, 1968 and they were later divorced.

He spent most of his life driving truck, first for Wausau Tile and the last 16 years at de Boer Trucking.

Richard was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Colby and a member of the Colby VFW Post 2227.

He is survived by one daughter, Tammy Ballenger, Weston and one son, Brent Cole, Denver, CO; two grandchildren; brothers Kenneth (Ruth) Cole, Marathon, Glenn (Kerry) Cole, Colby and Jack (Cindy) Cole, Marshfield; sisters Rhonda Gearhart, Eagle Grove, IA, Sharon (Michael) Spuhler, Loyal and Barb Noeldner, Unity.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Terry Cole.