Verna L. Cole

My mother – Katherine Rose Meier born Sept 16, 1880 - Kirchburg on the Jagst River – a little village 20 miles from Heidelberg (of “student Prince fame”) Came to America when she was 8 years old with her mother and father and sister Barbara.

My dad “Pop” – George Henry Schaefer – born July 1, 1880 in St. Louis, Mo.

Mother born Alsace Larane, father in Germany. They were married in an Evangelical church on California Avenue close to Gravois on April 6, 1904 the year of the worlds fair.

My three brothers were born George 1905, Ray 1907, and Leroy 1917. My father worked in Steel Mills from about age 14, Granite City Steel and Commonwealth Steel. Mom, like most mothers of her time was hardworking, very busy, with nothing like the conveniences we enjoy today. Mom was a wonderful cook and almost always on Sundays there would be George’s good friend Orvill or Ray’s friend Bernard Chartrand (one terrific soccer player) or my friend Mildred, plus a co-worker Pop befriended after he had lost his wife in the flu epidemic of 1918.

If we were “poor” by some standards we didn’t know it because we always had plenty to eat and to wear – we had fun as a family and we were certainly as well off as everyone around us.

We all went to Cleveland High School – George went on also to a Technical School, he became a very fine Draftsman with McDonnell Douglas. Ray went on to become an accountant- spent practically all of his working life with Shell Oil Company – first in St. Louis, then Tulsa, the Denver from which he retired.

Leroy “Lee” was the one of the right age and voluntarily entered the draft to “get his year over with in April 1941 – so that when he returned after a year he could get settled in a good job. This of course was about 6 months before Pearl Harbor – so he would end up serving 5 years in the jungle of New Guinea, the Philippines, and on to Tokyo. He was on his way when the bomb dropped. He returned home on Christmas Eve of 1945. What a joyous homecoming. He then went into the lifelong candy business started by Dorothy’s father many years before.

My life as Mrs. Sid Cole began when I took a Civil Service exam with the City of St. Louis for secretarial work. I worked first for the Board of Children’s Guardians, the for the Comptroller of the City and then for Dr. J Atkinson Smith, the Chief Diagnostician for the city. It was when I was to be interviewed by Dr. Max Starkloff, the Health Commissioner for the position that I met Sid, who was working for Dr. Starkloff and also attending classes at Washington University. Sid ushered me into Dr. Starkloffs office (the first three on the civil service list were always sent and the person doing the hiring took their choice) Sid’s first words when I came in and told him what I was there for were “I’m Sid Cole and I surely hope you get the job”. It was a moment in time, a strange but wonderful feeling, since several years previously I had heard my brother tell that “Sid Cole” whom he knew from Cleveland High had lost his mother and I remembered thinking “Sidney Cole” what a beautiful name. After elections in about 1931 we both lost our jobs, Democrats in, Republicans out, and we were in the midst of the big Depression. We went together a long time and finally after a member of very unimportant jobs, Sid was hired by Ralston Purina – the last day of 1936. We were married July 17, 1937, and I went back in government jobs. (I was always taking exams – secretary’s then, as now, could always get good jobs.) My last government job was as Administration Secretary to the National Labor Relations board head – Mrs. Dorothia deSchwerenty. I quit immediately when I became pregnant with Ron.

The most joyous events of our marriage were the birth of Ronald Sidney in 1940 and Jeanne Katherine in 1946. Such fun watching them grow, sharing Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA, Church, Confirmation, dating, Proms, Ron going off to Journalism School, Jeanne to Meramec Community College before marrying in 1965.

Ronald was married in 1961, has 3 wonderful children, Billy, Kathy and Kristen. We were always so proud of Ron’s accomplishments in college, being on the Dean’s List, Vice President of the School of Journalism, being recruited right out of Mizzou by Gardner Advertising Co. You were on cloud nine as we were for you.

Jeanne, “Dad’s Princess” was married in 1965, has 2 lovely daughters, Debbie Jean and Sherri Lee. Jeanne was voted Queen of the Graduating class, Queen of her Prom on the Admiral, probably one of the most popular girls at school and in her confirmation class, adored by everyone.

Our proudest possessions too are our fine wonderful great grandkids. Kathy has three children, Christopher, Courtney and Carter. Debbie‘s daughter Sydney, namesake of her great grandfather and son Steven. Sherri has two children Alex and Sammi. Kristen has three sons, Cole, Alex and Shaun.

How much more can life offer than having been born into a warm, loving family like mine, having met Sid, certainly the love of my life, having had 2 wonderful kids, who in turn have 5, one son and four daughters and 10 great-grandchildren, far meaningful work, for a lovely home, for health, for good friends!

We love you all and our prayers have always been that God will bless all of you as richly as he has blessed us.

Love from Mother