Cole Family Reunion 2009

From The Pontotoc Progress - June, 2009 (author unknown)

Cole Family reunion held in the Bellevue Community

On May 23 there was a reunion held at the home of Eugenia and Don Falkner, of the Bellevue Community near Thaxton, Miss.

Eighty direct descendants of James Burt Cole and Florence Davis Cole gathered to honor their memory. Grandpaw would have been so very pleased and had he been here there would have been singing. Wherever Coles gathered there had to be singing.

Burt Cole taught singing school all around Pontotoc County and was the song leader at Bellevue Baptist Church for more than 20 years. When he and his brothers got together they sometimes sang the old sacred harp singing and made a recording of this type at one time. No one seems to know what became of the tape. Next to singing, Burt loved people and was a friend to all he met.

Burt wore many different hats through his lifetime. He as a farmer, a sawmill man, had a store in Toccopola, a Service Station in Pontotoc, was a Justice of the Peace for 12 years, served as a Deputy Sheriff in Pontotoc County, was Chairman of the Board of Trustees when Thaxton School was built and served on the Executive Board of Itawamba Jr. College from Pontotoc County. As a member of Bellevue Baptist Church he served in any and all capacities.

Burt and Florence had six children, Lillian married Edgar Russell, Lavonia married Jim Coleman, Bertice married Lloyd Ard, Clifton married Farrel Graham, Rose married L.A. Kitchins and Helen married W.H. Mathews.

These people who came long before us were very special. They were hard workers but took the time to be civic minded citizens and a friend to all they met. Burt also said he’d never met anyone he didn’t like and his sweet wife quietly stood by him with a smile on her face.

So, “Here’s to you Alfred Newton James Burton Cole and Florence Davis Cole. We loved you then and we love you now.”