Jessie Lee Cole, 80, of Scott City, KS, passed from this life on Monday, May 14, 2018 while residing at Westy Community Care Home. He was born September 7, 1937 in Mulberry to the late Merle Cole and Lilly Mae Henson Cole. He graduated from Mulberry High School in 1955. Jessie was an avid horseman and rode the Arkansas hills rounding up cattle for local farmers and ranchers as a boy. That love of horses and cattle stayed with him his entire life. After graduation, Jessie answered an ad in a newspaper to go to Kansas and work for a grain elevator business, cleaning elevators by being lowered down the shaft from the very top of the elevators. He was athletic, fearless, and small enough for the job and this job is what was the beginning of his life’s work as a farmer and cattlemen in western Kansas. He also worked on a custom wheat cutting crew. While working in Kansas he met his wife, Liquetta Joyce Heim, from Modoc, Kansas. Together they had two daughters, Trina Devon Cole Harlow born in 1961 and Robyn Cevon Cole Lane born in 1964. Jessie was a champion steer roper, ranch rodeo cowboy, and broke and trained horses his entire adult life. In his younger days, he loved to stock race horses and ride broncs and bulls. He worked as a farmer and cattlemen in Modoc, Kansas for over 50 years, helping run C&H Cattle with his father-in-law, Roger Heim, and working the Heim family farm. They raised corn, wheat, milo, and other crops and ran a feedlot. He served on the Scott County Hospital Board for many years, was a member of the First Baptist Church of Scott City, KS, an active 4-H leader, and earned his EMT license and provided medical care for western Scott County residents, enjoyed showing horses and going on trail rides. He loved to hunt, fish, and golf and enjoyed doing so with family and friends from far and wide. He loved to watch Scott City Beavers ballgames and took up golfing as an older man, sometimes playing two rounds a day. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Carmel Adams and Joyce Treat; and a brother, Henson Cole.
He is survived by two daughters, Trina Harlow and husband Russell of Prosper, TX, and Robyn Lane of Grove, OK; siblings, Dora Francis Roe of Rogers, Anna Sue Dowd of Texarkana, TX, Bob Cole of Mulberry, Billy Cole of Alma, Tommy Cole of Sand Springs, OK, Merle Ann Stovall of Mountain Home, Marsha Mirra Gulf Breeze, FL, and Pamela Hudson of Batesville; five grandchildren, Hunter Harlow and wife Rachel of Waco, TX, Andrew Harlow and wife Megann of Allen, TX, Chloe Harlow of Lubbock, TX, Lexi Lane of London, England, and Peri Lane of Grove, OK; and two great-grandchildren, Renndon Harlow of Allen, TX and Hayes Harlow of Waco, TX, with a great granddaughter to be born any day.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2018 at Main Street Missionary Baptist Church in Mulberry with interment to follow at New Cemetery, under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren, AR.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Adams, Allen Adams, David Ferguson, Jimmy Roe, Andrew Harlow, Hunter Harlow, Stevie King, and Shelley Henson.
The family will visit with friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 18, 2018, at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home, 4100 Alma Highway, Van Buren, AR.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Kansas State University Foundation to the Jessie Cole Scholarship Endowment Fund. Mr. Cole had a life-long love of mathematics and as a younger man had wanted to attend the University of Arkansas to major in a math related field. He toured the university when a senior in high school and at that time it wasn’t financially possible for him to attend college. Although that was not possible, his family would like to see his legacy carried on by a scholarship at his beloved Kansas State University. For decades as an avid K-State fan, he wore purple and the KSU logo. The family thanks you for honoring his life and legacy by sending contributions to: Kansas State University, College of Education, Attn: Pam Monroe-Jessie Cole Scholarship, 006 Bluemont Hall, 1114 Mid-Campus Drive North, Manhattan, Kansas 66506. Make checks payable to KSU Foundation.
