Obit: Sugden, Coleman (1889 - 1960)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Sugden, Baldwin, Knops, Skutak, Brown

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 05/12/1960

Sugden, Coleman (21 SEP 1889 - 5 MAY 1960)

Funeral services for Coleman Sugden, city (Owen, Clark Co., Wis.), were held at 2:00 o’clock Monday afternoon from the Hoeper and Kraut Funeral Home.  The Rev. Ralph Claybaugh of the First Congregation Church officiated with burial being made at Gilman.

Serving as pallbearers were Al Boxrucker, Julius Johnson, Fred Baumgart, R. Ruesch, Lucius Bowen, and Adolph Haavisto.

"Cole," as he was more affectionately known to friends and neighbors, passed away a week ago today at the Veterans Hospital at Fort Snelling, Minn., where he had been a medical patient for several weeks.  He had suffered a stroke and laid in a coma for the past four weeks prior to his death.

Cole was 70 years and 8 months of age, being born Sept. 21, 1889, at Spaulding, Wis.  He had been a resident of Owen for more than 40 years, coming here and obtaining employment with the former Owen Box and Crating Co., and later with the Frederick Post co.

He derived much pleasure and comfort in pursuing his hobby of horticulture.  During the summer months, it was a common and everyday sight to see him strolling uptown carrying a large bouquet of either gladiolas or irises that he had picked from one of his gardens.  He had his own greenhouse and since his retirement had spent many hours in breeding and cross-breeding strawberry plants and various flowers.

About a year ago he obtained a patent as a result of his experimentation with strawberry plants.  Today a strawberry plant is being marketed by the Farmers Seed and Nursery of Faribault, Minn. that was developed by Cole.  He had crossed wild strawberry plants with an ever-bearing tame plant that produces the good qualities of both.  His latest development was an alsike clover that had leaves with four to nine petals.

His passing is mourned by his wife, the former Olive Baldwin, to whom he was united in marriage in a ceremony performed in Owen on March 25, 1922; two daughters, Mrs. James (Patricia) Knops, St. Paul, Minn., and Marlyn Skutak, Stockton, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Warren (Violet) Brown, Gladstone, Mich.; three brothers, George Hopkinton, Iowa, Archie, Neenah, and Howard, Owen, and six grandchildren.  One son and a daughter died in infancy.