Anne was born June 10, 1936 to Lester Earl Billingsley and Helen (Borst) Billingsley in Midland, Texas.
She married Al Cole January 20, 1956 in Midland. The two of them owned and operated Aladdin House Furniture in Killeen for many years. She was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother as well as a business partner to her husband.
She enjoyed being around people and will always be remembered for her very out going personality.
Anne was preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband, Al Cole of Killeen; three sons, Ed Cole and his wife Cindy of Salado, Byron Cole and his wife Misty of Killeen and John Cole of Salado; a sister, Earlene Brown of Midland; twelve grandchildren, six great grandchildren and her loving dog Rudy.
The Cole family will receive guests for a time of visitation from 6 o’clock in the evening until 8 o’clock in the evening on Thursday, the sixteenth day of December, two thousand and ten at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen. Funeral services will be eleven o’clock in the morning on the seventeenth of December, two thousand and ten in the chapel of Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen with Reverend Jack Husung officiating. Interment services will follow in the Salado Cemetery.
Serving as pallbearers will be Ed Cole, Byron Cole, John Cole, Clayton Cole, Wyatt Jenkins, Casey Bagwell and James Stewart.
For those that desire the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the charity of your choice.
Words of comfort may be shared with the Cole family at www.crawfordbowersfuneralhome.com.
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Anything is possible.” That is what Anne Cole believed about life. She was a creative woman, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting her. She had faith in her ability to find those solutions. Anne thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. She possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Anne was a person who believed that she could achieve whatever she set out to do.
Her parents were Lester Earl and Helen Billingsley. Anne was raised in Whiteface, Andrews, and Midland Texas. She showed her ingenuity even as a child. When she was confronted with a problem, Anne could develop an imaginative solution, and she derived satisfaction from knowing she had that ability.
This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Anne's family relationships. Anne was raised with one sibling. She had one sister, Earlene "Butchie" Brown. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Anne was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.
Endowed with an appetite for knowing how her world worked, Anne enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. She graduated from Midland High School in 1954.
Because she was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, Anne performed well in college. She earned her way back home after two weeks at Texas Tech. She just decided she needed to go home!
Anne was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around her. Always interested in her friends’ activities and interests, Anne was uncritical of her acquaintances. She was sought after by people who recognized that she was generous with her time and energy, and these same friends found Anne to be very stimulating company. Anne's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around her. While growing up, some of her best friends were Charlotte Duprey.
Anne was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. Anne was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. Anne was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to her spouse’s needs. She was a vibrant personality and she enjoyed verbally sparring with Al. In fact, those who knew her often remarked that Anne loved to argue for argument’s sake. She was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Al's.
Anne's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced her relationship with her children. She would create original, clever and fun games for her kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. Anne was blessed with three sons, Ed, Byron, and John. They were also blessed with twelve grandchildren, Clayton, Kami, Wyatt, Travis, Casey, Chrissy, Shayla, Jenna, Chelbi, James, Ryan, and Callie. Someone who was quick to laugh, Anne found it easy to spend lots of time with her children, but she was never overbearing or guilty of pushing herself on them.
Anne was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. She could assess all of the options before her and, using her analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. Her personal initiative inspired those around her. Her primary occupation was being the best mother to her three sons. Anne always made an effort to do what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.
Anne's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for her. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Anne was always searching for new and unusual activities, she developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things she became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew her, but most friends and family understood that Anne simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. Her favorite pursuits were the CB radio and her family.
Anne's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served her well in sports. Recreational sports included Wiffle Ball. Anne was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were Dallas Cowboys Football.
Anne's talents were well suited for being actively involved in professional and community organizations, something she did throughout her life. She enjoyed being involved and was willing to jump in and help out in most any situation. Anne could bring a breath of fresh air to any organization, simply by introducing her novel ideas and problem solving strategies. Throughout her later years, Anne was an active member of the PTA and Killeen Jr. Livestock Show.
With all of her talents, her ingenuity, her solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that Anne received public recognition for her competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, Anne accumulated a long list of achievements throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included the Best Mom Award.
Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Anne. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Anne to expand her ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included a trip to Colorado.
Anne was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Anne's favorites was Rudy, the dog and dozens of other orphaned farm animals. Rudy was her best friends for 13 years and counting. Her family was also rounded out by her lambs, pigs, and barn cats.
Anne passed away on December 13, 2010 at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas. She is survived by Albert Forest Cole, Ed Cole, Byron Cole, John Cole, Misty Cole, Cindy Cole, and twelve grandchildren. Services were held at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home Chapel. Anne was laid to rest in Salado Cemetery in Salado, Texas.
During her lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Anne. She met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Anne was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around her could not. For Anne, the traditional way of doing things fell short of her expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Anne Cole, the fun of living her life could be found in the challenge.
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