General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2004


[daveanthes.FTW]

ALLEN JOHNSTON COLE AND WIFE MARY HELENA HARE AND THEIR FAMILY
1849-1935

Allen Johnston Cole, the youngest child of William and Ann E. Collins Cole, was born 8 May, 1849 in Pickaway County, Ohio.  Allen died 30 May, 1935 in Sumner, Pierce County, Washington.

The story my father has always told about his father's birth was that "Dad's mother died at his birth and he was raised by his maternal aunt, Malinda Collins, who married a Dr. Reeves." Research reveals that my father was correct on all accounts, except that Allen's mother died three (3) months after his birth.  Ann Elizabeth Cole's death is recorded in the Ohio, 1850, Mortality Schedule, for deaths occurring in Monroe township, Pickaway County for the year ending June, 1850.  "Ann's age is shown to be 29, sick, 3 months, cause of death, fever, died Aug. 1849." Allen J. Cole, along with his Aunt Malinda E. Collins, was enumerated in the Ohio 1850 U.S. Census as shown on page II-2 in paragraph 4.

Allen J. Cole and Mary H. Hare were married at "the Ministers" in Amoret, Missouri on 28 January, 1872.  Mary Hare was born 6 February, 1854, in Paint Township, Ross County, Ohio.  She was the oldest daughter of Pleasant George Hare and Susannah Moomaw.  Pleasant G. Hare was born 10 March, 1824, died Trading Post, Kansas, 7 January, 1899.  Married 2 July, 1849 to Susannah Moomaw, born 18 January, 1830, died 4 March, 1892, Trading Post, Kansas.

Susannah Moomaw Hare's identification number is 22154 in H. Warner Kloepfer's Moomaw-Mumma Genealogy updated and published in 1990 by Robert A. Moomaw.  Pleasant G. Hare was discharged from Company I, 185 Regiment of Ohio Infantry, at Lexington, Kentucky, 26 September, 1865.

Shortly after Susannah's death, Pleasant G. Hare was injured.  Mary Cole's brothers and sisters agreed to award her their shares of their father's estate if she would take care of him.  This she did. (Warranty Deed, dated 7 February, 1902.  Recorded in Deed Book 59, page 413, Court House, Mound City, Linn County, Kansas.)

Mary and Allen Cole sold their farm in the latter part of February, and they with the younger children departed Kansas City on an immigrant train for Colton, Washington, arriving there in early May, 1902.

Thus far in writing the Allen J. Cole family history I have relied on research findings and interviews.  The first memory I have of my Grandmother and Grandfather Cole is when we were living on my father's homestead in Washington County, Idaho, from early Spring, 1910 to 11 November, 1915, when father sold the homestead.

Our home was about half a mile from my grandparent's house, and the two houses were in sight of each other.  This made it more convenient for Mother to say "yes" when either I or my brother Howard wanted to visit our grandparents.  I can recall quite vividly those early boyhood visits with my grandparents.  Grandmother Cole always had time to stop and visit and answer all of a little boy's questions.

One morning Grandmother asked me to let the cat in.  As I opened the door, I excitedly informed her that the cat had a live mouse in her mouth.  Grandmother said, "That's all right, let her in.  She wants to play with the mouse for a while and you may watch them."  This was the first and only time I ever saw the Cat and Mouse game played in all its reality.

I remember going into the attic with Grandmother and seeing this funny looking gun.  She told me that it was her father's old muzzle loading rifle that he used during the Civil War.  She showed me the powder horn, balls and caps, wadding, and the ramrod.  Then she showed me the sequence that a soldier had to go through in loading his rifle.  Then she let me put the ramrod into the barrel.  This was great stuff for a little boy.

Grandfather Cole sold nursery stock and was away from home a great deal of the time.  I did not know him as well as I did Grandmother.  One year I had a watermelon patch of my own.  It was towards the end of the growing season and I was looking forward to the time when the melon would be ripe, as it was the last one of the season.  As time drew near for it to ripen, I could visualize that great moment when I would present my prize melon to the family for their enjoyment.  When the time came to pick the melon, it was in the cool of the morning, when I dashed barefooted through the dew covered garden towards my melon.  My joyous anticipation of taking my prize to the family was smashed to smithereens when I saw it lying before me in two hollowed out halves.  Although disappointed and disgusted, I noticed a calling card stuck in one of the halves.  I had not learned to read, so hurriedly I took the card to Mother.  She told me that it was from Grandfather Cole.  My disappointment was somewhat relieved when I learned who had eaten my melon.  I felt much better a few days later when Grandfather told me how good the melon tasted.

Ever since I can remember, I have always had a pocketknife.  There was a whetstone in the toolbox and I taught myself how to sharpen my knife. There was one thing I had not learned, and that was how to keep from cutting, myself.

I remember as if it were yesterday telling my Grandfather how I was always cutting my fingers.  He said, "Let me see your knife."  He placed it in my hand and showed me the proper way to hold the knife so that I would be cutting away from myself.  He had me cut on a piece of wood to see if I understood what he was telling me.  When he saw I had followed his instructions, he said, "Let me see how sharp that knife is."  When I handed it to him, he said, "My, this is a good sharp knife.  Remember, always cut from you."  Following those instructions was like magic, and I knew I had the smartest Grandfather in the world.

These incidents are just a few of the memories I have concerning my early boyhood and my relationship with these kindly people.  In later years I visited them every chance I had and we always enjoyed each other so much. I last saw them at Caldwell, Idaho in the Spring of 1926.

I have always felt sorry for Grandfather Cole because he was crippled in the right arm, thus making it difficult for him to make a living trying to work the farm.  During the early years on their homestead, Grandfather made a living selling nursery stock.  As the area developed and orchards came into being, the demand for nursery stock became less and less, thus leading to the "Death of a Salesman."

As they became older it became harder and harder for Grandfather to make a living.  After selling their homestead and for a period of about seven years prior to Grandmother's death, they lived with their bachelor son, Uncle Perry, at Caldwell, Idaho.

It was many years after their deaths, while doing genealogical research in Kansas and Missouri in 1976, that I discovered what I consider to be the financial tragedy of their lives.  It was my good fortune to meet Susie Hays Hamilton and her son, David Hamilton.  Susie is the daughter of Terrissie Moomaw Hays and Charles Wesley Hayes.  Terrissie and Susannah Moomaw Hare were sisters.  David Hamilton is a large landowner in Linn County, Kansas.  Some of his land adjoins the old Pleasant Hare homestead, which was the property Grandmother Cole sold in 1902.  Joseph F. Gibson, who was the buyer, soon after purchase put down a mine shaft and mined coal from under the land.  He sold coal and gas from this mine until sometime in the 1930's.

Thus, my grandparents once owned land under which there was enough coal and gas to have comfortably taken care of them all their lives.  To me, their "Greener Pastures" move was indeed tragic.  I have thought many times how much more pleasant life would have been for these lovely persons had they had only known of the wealth they had under their land.

Allen J. Cole lies buried alongside his beloved wife Mary Helena Cole in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho.  Their headstone identifies him, as Allan (sic) J. Cole, 1849-1935.

Their children and whom they married are as follows:
1.  Franklin Turner Cole, b. 16 April, 1873, d. 16 August, 1874.
2.  William Pleasant Cole, b. 7 November, 1874 at Foster, Bates Co., Missouri, d. Sumner, Washington, 8 January 1949. m. Myrtle Caroline Mitchel, 23 Nov. 1904.
3.  Marion Webster Cole, b. 22 September, 1876, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 21 July, 1954, Pullman, Washington.
4.  Bertha Manasseh Cole, b. 8 May, 1878, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 22 March, 1879.
5.  Eldora Susannah Cole, b. 14 January, 1880, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 9 March, 1952, Pullman, Washington. m. 12 October, 1903, Alfred Simpson, at Colton, Washington.
6.  James Boston Cole, b. 3 June, 1882, Louisburg, Miami Co., Kansas, d. 14 March, 1960, Omak, Washington. m. 25 March, 1906, Colton Washington, Virgie Winifred Jenks, b. 14 June, 1888, Central Ferry, Washington, d. 8 November, 1969, Des Moines, Washington.  Both cremated.  Parents of the writer (Noman M. Cole, Sr.).
7.  George Burton Cole, b. 11 April, 1884, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 8 January, 1976, Des Moines, Washington. m. Ouida Jaunita Carmichel, 19 June, 1913, 2. Alice McKean.
8.  Thomas Wesley Cole, b. 26 June, 1886, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 2 October, 1936, Caldwell Idaho, m. Martha Elizabeth Oster, Washington County, Idaho.
9.  Perry Clinton Cole, b. 16 December, 1887, Linn Co., Kansas, d. 14 August, 1971, Portland, Oregon, m. Ollie Mae Pack, November 1933.
10. Harry Allen Cole, b. 9 May, 1891, Linn Co, Kansas, d. 7 April, 1972, Weiser, Idaho, m. Meda Titsworth, Washington County, Idaho.
11. Charles Edgar, b. 11 June, 1893, Osage Tribe, Indian Territory, d. Denver, Colorado, 26 December, 1982, m. Cleora Kinder, Caldwell, Idaho, 12 August, 1917.
12. Albertie LeRoy Cole, b. 21 October, 1897, Amoret, Bates County, Missouri, d. 4 March, 1899, Trading Post, Linn Co., Kansas.

Compiled by Noman M. Cole, Sr.     1981
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Oral history from George B. Cole, Jr. 4/21/2001
My mother did not approve of Grandpa Cole's ways.  He did not use the indoor plumbing and he was teaching me to go outside and she did not approve of this.  Allan should be spelled Alan.  There was only one L in his name.
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From research done by Melba Alice Cole
Allen Johnson Cole was reared by his aunt, Malinda Reeves, after the death of his mother.
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From a tape by George Birton Cole, transcribed by Melba A. Cole in 1961
My father was an explosive kind of person, and the two of them [he and wife, Mary Helena Hare] got along very well together.  But the children didn't get along with him, because some of us have the same temperament that he did, and of course two explosions never made anything very quiet for anybody.  [He] could write, very poorly; read, very simply; and cipher, they called it in those days - [simple arithmetic].
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