Cole, **Samuel Larsh

At the age of 13, Sam was working for a neighbor that lived some distance from home. He stayed with the neighbor during the week and came home on weekends. He had saved his own money to buy himself a "store bought" bed. One weekend when he came home he found that his mother had given his bed to one of his sisters that had recently married. He packed his clothes and went to the train station where he bought a ticket to one of the Dakotas. One of his brothers was working on a ranch there and Sam went to him and worked there as a cowboy for a time. He traveled around the west, working as he went. One winter he became sick. He was staying in a hotel and the couple that owned the hotel called in a doctor. The doctor told him that he had the mumps and had to stay inside. Sam told him that he couldn't afford to stay there so the doctor quarantined him. This forced the owners of the hotel to let him stay in the room even though he couldn't pay. During the time he was quarantined the couple grew fond of him and he stayed on and worked for them through the winter. After he returned home, he met Verna McCrum. He was sitting on the porch of the store in Puckett (was about 3-4 miles east of the VA in Marion). He and a friend were talking about the advantages of marriage when a wagon came by. Sam told his friend, "I'm gonna marry that pretty girl right there", pointing at the wagon. His friend warned him, "You don't want to mess with that girl. That's Hen Richardson's grand-daughter and he's a mean so-and-so" . Sam said it didn't matter that he would marry her anyway. And he did. (Source: Judy Cameron, decendent, online family tree)

Navy CPO enlisted 3-44 through 7-44; stationed at Boston Navy Yard. Discharged for bad knee.

Employed as a sheet metal worker at Liniger's Sheet Metal, Marion, IN.
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GRANT CO. HEALTH DEPT. - DEATH CERTIFICATES LIST (online):

Decedent's Information
Registered # 1990-135
Date Filed 03/08/1990
Decendent SAMUEL L. COLE,SR.
Address 608 E SOUTH C ST
City, St Zip GAS CITY, IN 46933
County GRANT COUNTY
Sex M
Race WHITE
Occupation METAL WORKER
Born on 08/28/1897
in *NOT STATED, **
Died on 03/03/1990
Time of Death KNOWN 17:00
Place HOSPITAL
Name of Place MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL
City of Place MARION, IN
County of Place GRANT COUNTY
At the Age of 92yrs 6mth
Marital Status MARRIED
Spouse VERNA M. MCCRUM
Father SAMUEL L. COLE
Mother MARY SWAFFORD
Informant MARY C. ROBILLARD
City, St MARION, IN 46952
Relation DAUGHTER
Funeral Home NEEDHAM-STOREY FUNERAL SERVICE
Address 400 E MAIN ST
City, St GAS CITY, IN
Disposition JEFFERSON CEMETERY
City UPLAND, IN
Method BURIAL
on 03/06/1990
Certifier PRAKASH JOSHI
Title M.D.
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Further information garnered from his World War 1 draft card dated Sept 12, 1918 shows:

Name: Samuel Larch Cole
Address: 36345 Shelby, Marion, Ind. (Grant Co.)
Age: 21 Birthdate: 28 Aug 1897
Race: White
Citizenship: Natural
Roll: 1503893 DraftBoard: 0
Occupation: pulling wire
Employer: Evaus Glass Factory, East 35th St in Marion
Nearest Relative: Verna May Cole
Registration Place: Grant Co.
Height: medium
Build: medium
Color of Eyes: blue
Color of Hair: light
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