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Betty L. Cole

1942 - 2012

Betty L, Cole, age 70, of Belmond, died unexpectedly on June 6, 2012, at the Belmond Medical Center, Belmond.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 304 Third Ave. N.E., Belmond. The Rev. Troy Pflibsen will be officiating. Inurnment will be in the Belmond Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. today, Monday, June 11, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First Street S.E., Belmond, and continues one hour prior to the services at church Tuesday. Public viewing will only take place today at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed in Betty's memory to the family, 311 River Ave., Belmond, IA 50421.

Betty Lauden, the daughter of Walter Henry and Clara (Larson) Lauden, was born Jan. 20, 1942, at Goodell. She was baptized and confirmed in her childhood at the Reformed Church in Klemme. Betty grew up in the Goodell area and attended schools there. She graduated from Klemme High School, Klemme, with the Class of 1959.

Following high school, Betty worked and attended college in Northwest Minneapolis, Minn., where she was trained in nursing. She later became a bookkeeper and was licensed as a tax preparer, owning her own business during her years in South Carolina.

Betty was united in marriage to Charles "Chuck" F. Cole, in December of 1966. Their union was blessed with three children: Tammy, John, and James.

Following their marriage, the couple lived in and raised their children in various places, where Chuck's Air Force career took them, including a number of years in Hokkaido, Japan, where he was stationed during his military tenure. After 22 years in the service, Chuck and Betty settled in Sacramento, Calif. Eventually, in 1990, the family returned to Belmond, when Betty's mother entered the health care center.

They later owned and operated the C & G Motel, after purchasing it from Edith Hill. A while later, they became proprietors of the CBJ Autowash on Highway 69 in Belmond. Betty and Chuck purchased a home on Lake Cornelia between Belmond and Clarion and relished many wonderful times at the "Lake Place", spending time cruising about and fishing on their pontoon. The couple enjoyed square dancing in earlier years and the adventures of their travels, as well as swapping customs with others in their home during their years in the military.

Betty truly looked forward to any occasion that meant being in the presence of her family. She was very proud of each and every one of them and would often bring other young people under her wing as their "Adopted Grandma". Betty truly was a people person who had a huge heart, often putting the needs of others, including those who were complete strangers, before her own needs. Her door was always open no matter where she lived and her family recalls countless times where she would provide shelter, food, and money for people she had never met before, trusting them with completely open arms. Her family recalls when RAGBRAI made a trek through town and Betty's yard and home was filled with dozens of tents, bikes and bikers.

A favorite past time of Betty's was working over one of her "Bunka" designs, a Japanese craft that almost no one else in the United States knew how to do. Her family will be able to cherish various designs that she created with her loving hands. Some of her work had even been in magazines featuring the "Bunka" craft.

Betty was an avid WWE fan whose favorite wrestlers included Vern Gagne and "The Crusher". She was known to get truly excited watching that wrestling action. She also looked forward to spectating Roller Derby events. Betty enjoyed the simple pleasures of life such as playing cards, working in her garden and flowers, watching the birds and other wildlife, looking after the pet birds, and going on dining out excursions with Chuck and family. She was always up for a good visit with friends and relatives.

As both her and Chuck's health declined, they truly appreciated the fact that their three children were nearby, as each of the kids helped them out in their own ways. After Chuck passed away on April 22, 2006, Betty relied upon the love and support of her family even more as her health slowly continued to decline. She faced each obstacle head-on and battled courageously through it.

Betty will be remembered by her family and friends for her dry sense of humor and her welcoming ways towards all who crossed her path. She was very kind hearted in one sense, and cantankerous in another. One of her children stated about her unique personality, "she was like a crusty old marshmallow, hard on the outside and and very soft and gooey on the inside." She will also be remembered for her straightforward attitude and her strength and ability to face adversity head-on. She will be missed by her family in so many different ways.

Betty's memory will live on in the hearts and minds of her three children, Tamara Gladue, Clarion, John (Lisa) Cole, Belmond, and James Cole, Antioch, Calif.; her grandsons, Adam Gladue, St. Helena, Calif., and Tyler Baldwin, Vinton; her sisters, Rosie Gerdes Klemme, and Wilma (Marvin) Lindsay, Swaledale; a brother -in-law, Daniel Cole, Forest Lake, Minn., and numerous nieces and nephews.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Chuck Cole; a brother-in-law, George Gerdes; and two nephews, Roger and Robert Lindsay.


source: © Andrews Funeral Homes, 516 1st Street Southeast, Belmond, Iowa, Phone 641-444-4474; [http://www.andrewsfuneralhomeandfloral.com ]

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