Elvera Clara (Henke) Cole

Elvera Cole, of Hanley Falls, passed away Saturday, June 1, 2019 at Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall at the age of 91.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at 11:00 AM at Living Word Lutheran Church in Marshall. Rev. Kelly Wasberg and Rev. David Christensen will officiate and burial will be in East Yellow Medicine Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 4, 2019 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Lynner Funeral Home in Clarkfield with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.

Elvera Clara (Henke) Cole was born on January 17, 1928 in Wood Lake Township to Albert and Ella (Krueger) Henke.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wood Lake, MN.  She attended Wood Lake High School and went on to Business School for one year following graduation. Elvera was united in marriage to Ordell Cole on September 7, 1947 at St. John’s Lutheran Church and, to this union, four children were born: Gwen, Monica, Jane, and Lauris.  Together they made their home on the family farm where Elvera was a devoted wife, mother and an excellent homemaker in addition to being a helpmate to Ordell with farm chores. Elvera continued to live on the farm following Ordell’s passing in 1999 until her move to Boulder Estates in 2015 and to Boulder Creek in 2018, always accepting life's changes so gracefully.  They enjoyed spending time together and made many memories traveling to various places within the U.S. and Canada.

Elvera attended Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls and Living Word Lutheran Church in Marshall. She loved her Lord and Savior and she celebrated her strong faith by taking an active role in many groups including: WELCA, the choir, the Harmonettes, and Circle.  She was also a 4-H leader and involved in the Homemaker’s Club, Study Club, and bowling. 

Elvera was an exceptional cook and baker and, although she was a full-blooded German, she could make lefse, flatbread, and kringle with the best of the Norwegians!  She loved attending her grandchildren’s sporting events and was an avid supporter of and scorekeeper for them. She also enjoyed gardening, reading, walking, and doing embroidery work and word puzzles. She looked forward to and enjoyed gathering with her friends for quilting days at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church. In her later years, she delighted in sitting in her porch enjoying her flowers, the birds, and God’s beautiful creation.         

Elvera is survived, and will be deeply missed, by her daughters: Gwen (Rick) Pelowski, Maple Grove; Monica (Dale) Buchholz, Alexandria;  Jane (Mark) Vandelanotte, Cottonwood; and son, Lauris (Pat) Cole, Hanley Falls; grandchildren: Paul (Spencer) Pelowski, Jeff (Katie) Pelowski, Abby Vandelanotte and Bayli Vandelanotte; step-grandchildren: Eric Buchholz and Jacob (Heather) Buchholz; Laura Fjoseide and Wayne Fjoseide; great-grandchildren: Jadyn and Ava Pelowski, and Elsie and Evan Pelowski; step-great-grandchildren: Dylan and Helen Buchholz, and Finley and Felix Buchholz; sister-in-law, Marguerite Henke; and many dear nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ordell; brothers, Arnold and Erwin Henke; sister and brother-in-law, Ardys & James Taylor; and all of Ordell’s brothers, sisters, and in-laws. 

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