Margaret Dishong Cole

Margaret D. Cole, 93, passed away at Trinity Nursing and Rehab in Merriam, KS on February 1, 2017. Margaret Pearl Sandberg was born on August 31, 1923, to Arthur Sandberg and Mabel (Bee) Sandberg, in Barnett, MO. She was raised and schooled in Barnett, and moved to Kansas City in 1946. She worked at Rival Manufacturing for several years and Coughlin’s Restaurant for 15 years. In 1982, she began work at Waddell & Reed, from which she retired in 1995. In 1948, Margaret married Paul M. Dishong, who passed away in 1970. Together, they had one son, John Paul, born in 1951, who passed away in 1977. Margaret married a second time to Ivan Cole in 1977; he passed away in 1982. After her retirement, Margaret loved to travel. She went on numerous vacations with her family, visiting Las Vegas, New York, Boston, Miami, Disney World, San Francisco, Cape Cod, the Smoky Mountains, Nashville, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., the Bahamas, and two Hawaiian islands. She loved collecting magnets as souvenirs from each place she visited. As a member of the Smith family, Margaret participated in their holiday and family gatherings, which resulted in an extended family that meant a great deal to her. In addition to her surviving family members, she also leaves her dear friend and “sister”, Daisy Dennis, along with Debby Grace and her family, whom Margaret considered to be her own. Debby’s grandchildren, Kylie and Caleb, who visited Margaret at the nursing home, held a special place in her heart. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Beverly (Dishong) Smith and her husband, Brad Smith, and her granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Patterson. The family expresses its deep appreciation to the staff at Trinity Nursing and Rehab for their kindness and care over the past eight years.