Mary Cole

Mary Hazel (Welch) Cole, was born in Lonoke County, Arkansas on November 20, 1929 on the banks of Wattensaw Bayou. She was the daughter of Virgil D. Welch and Anna Lynn (Bennett) Welch. She died February 27, 2019. Her husband of 52 years, Julius Cole preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter, Brenda Cole von Tungeln, son-in-law Jimmie von Tungeln, lifelong friend Bess Tate, and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, and her favorite dog, Buster. Two brothers, Roy B. Welch and Lloyd Welch, and two sisters, Mildred “Pill” Kobus, and Evelyn Henderson preceded her in death. Hazel attended Oakdale School and Beebe Junior College. She held a number of jobs in the City of Lonoke. This included a 35-year career in the office of one of our state’s last “country doctors,” Dr. Byron E. Holmes. As a result, she enjoyed the friendship of many within Lonoke County. Following the death of her husband, she enjoyed a leisurely life of travel and entertainment with her family. She was fond of both ocean cruises and trips to Washington for the National Literary Festival. She was a lifelong Methodist and a member of Lonoke First United Methodist Church. She particularly enjoyed visiting the church’s national headquarters on one of her trips. Friends and acquaintances describe her as a person who was possessed of warmth, absent of vices, and eager to meet new friends and visit old ones. In addition, she maintained a positive outlook on life and a willingness to take on life’s challenges without complaint—a poster-child for The Greatest Generation. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday March 1, 2019 at Boyd Funeral Home in Lonoke. Visitation will be Thursday night at the funeral home from 6 - 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Hazel’s memory may be made to Arkansas Hospice, 14 Parkstone Circle, NLR, 72116 , First United Methodist Church, 220 S. Center St., Lonoke, Arkansas 72086.