Word reached Floyd Leonard Monday that his aunt, Mrs. Horatio W. Cole, had passed away at her home in San Jose, California, February 23.
She had been seriously ill about ten days. Her two daughters and her husband were by her bedside and cared for her throughout her sickness. Had she lived until May 25, she and Mr. Cole would have been married fifty six years, about half of which time was spent in Wallowa county.
Besides her aged husband she left to mourn her loss, Mrs. Grace Keifer and family, who live in San Francisco, and another daughter, Miss Ruby, who has made her home with her parents. She also left three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. All were present for the funeral which was held the 26th.
Mr. and Mrs. Cole moved from Michigan to Wallowa in the early nineties and farmed the land which is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Haun. It was from this place that the Cole Addition to Lostine was deeded.
While farming this place the Coles’ built two homes in the lower part of town. S.L. Magill owns and lives in one and the beautiful house in Evans belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Haun was moved from Lostine where it was built by Mr. Cole. After kts removal to Evans an addition was added by Mr. Haun.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Cole were very progressive and were numbered among the leading citizens of Wallowa county. For many years Mrs. Cole provided a home to the teachers of the town and her genial hospitality was appreciated by those whom she roomed and boarded. Their daughter Grace was born and reared in the east and married Harry Keifer. The Keifers’ also lived in Lostine for several years and then moved to California and to them were born three children.
Another daughter, Ruby Cole, grew to womanhood and graduated from the Lostine high school as one of the first graduating class in 1904. Soon after in 1906 she and her parents moved to Modesto, California, where she attended business college. Later the family moved to San Jose, and Miss Ruby acted as private secretary in the business profession for years. She was also Dean of Women in the Christian Church college at Eugene for some time.
As Mr. and Mrs. Cole reached advanced years, Miss Ruby took charge of the home where she has since been a companion to her parents. She will remain and care for her father, who is 83 years of age.
Source:Enterprise Record Chieftain, Enterprise, Oregon, February 29, 1940 page 2
Contributed by: Sue Wells
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor