Frances Cole

Frances K. Cole, 91, of rural Lansing, IA, died Thursday, February 7, 2013, at her home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 12th, at 11:00 AM at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, IA, with Pastor Paul Burgess officiating. Burial will be at Mays Prairie Cemetery, rural Lansing. Friends may call from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Monday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Frances Katherine Cole was born on February 22, 1921, in Chicago, IL, the daughter of Frank and Helen (Wiehe) Hirth. As a young girl she moved with her family from Chicago to Muscatine, IA and then to rural Lansing, IA, where she attended the rural Mays Prairie School. Frances grew up helping on the family farm in all aspects of the operation: milking cows, tending the beef cattle, hogs, and sheep, and working in the fields, which at an early age she did using horses. She loved the farm and the farm life, especially the animals and in particular her cats and dogs. Frances was first married to Andrew Geinzer who preceded her in death. On April 23, 1990 she married Dan Cole Sr. in Caledonia, MN.

Frances was a member of Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church and its Ladies Aid. She was also a former board member of the Allamakee County Farm Bureau and Allamakee County Farm Bureau Women. Frances enjoyed traveling, reading, and attending ice cream socials, She enjoyed adventures and participated in numerous wagon train reenactments in South Dakota. She was also a long-time member of the Upper Iowa Saddle Club and for many years hosted a 2 day trail ride on her farm.

Survivors include her husband Dan Cole Sr. of Lansing; 2 stepchildren: Dan (Jenny) Cole Jr. of Lansing and Melissa (Dustin) Folsom of Prairie du Chien, WI; and 6 grandchildren: Logan, Carly, Caylee, Alana, Riely, and Brock. She is preceded in death by her parents; her first husband Andrew Geinzer; and a sister Wilma "Boots" Pfiffner.

Casketbearers are Logan Timp, Dan Cole, Jr., Dustin Folsom, Herb Deitz, Tracy Diebert, and Al Stein.