Kenneth E. Cole, 94, died Wednesday June 16 at the Maine Veteran's Home. He was born in Portland, May 19, 1917 a son of Ralph L. and Hazel Huskins Cole, spending his youth in East Deering, graduating from Portland High School in 1935. He then went to work for the railway express at Union Station before and after WWII. Ken was sent to Ft. Devens, Massachusetts in May of 1943 and was assigned to the Quartermaster Corp in Illinois. Later he was sent to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and later put in time in the Philippines. He was there when the Japanese decided they had enough. Ken then went to Japan during the occupation years and was discharged February 1, 1946.
Around 1960, Ken and his wife decided to research their family trees, which included finding old, small family burial lots. In a few years time, working with another couple, they copied over 40,000 names, and sent them to Augusta. These names and hundreds of others listed by the Maine Old Cemetery Association were also recorded and registered in Salt Lake City by the Mormons from the Utah city. This in one of the things Ken accomplished in his life that he was proud of, with the help from his deceased wife.
In their travels, they wound up in Parsonsfield, Maine, where 20 people or so had a group also researching to complete their family tree. It did not take those people long to realize that they had found a worker. 1976 was only a couple of years away, and several organizations were making big plans. At a meeting someone spoke up and stated that they wished they could have copies of the history of Parsonsfield reprinted. The group did not collect dues, but they had a jar, and whatever change they had, they put it in the jar. Even then, it cost about $30.00 to buy a book, and they wanted to print 200 books. A committee was formed and guess who was the Chairman: "soft touch" Ken Cole. When the 200th anniversary rolled around, they had $5000.00 in the bank from people who paid for their book, months before it was printed! He felt so good he nearly cried for his second accomplishment.
Since retiring in 1982, Ken became interested in collecting cancelled postcards, mostly of southern Maine. He now has three albums with a total of 172 cards.
He was also very interested in Portland High School's Alumni Association. With the help of Peter Gribbin, a former PHS teacher, who is now in charge of the alumni association, Ken had every totem from 1922(which was the first one printed) through 1939 which amounted to a total of 18. He kept the totems current through the Press Herald obituary pages and Peter's input. For each deceased student, he cut out the article, marked the date under the picture. then saved the article in an envelope.
He is survived by his close longtime friend, Kurt C. Nielsen of Cape Elizabeth. Kurt would like to thank the entire staff of the Maine Veteran's Home for the outstanding care that was given to Kurt during his time at the home.
A graveside service with military honors will be held Tuesday June 21 at 11 am from Pine Grove Cemetery, Rt. 88, Falmouth. Arrangements are by Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, Portland.
Arrangements under the direction of Jones-Rich-Hutchins Funeral Home, Portland, ME.
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