Thelma Inez Cole

 Thelma Inez Anderson was the youngest and only daughter of William Dee and Susannah Katherine [Beam] Anderson.  She had blue eyes and dark brown hair and stood 5’7” tall.  Thelma was from the Scottish background that went back almost every generation to the early 1700’s.  She was born in Topeka, Kansas before her parents homesteaded in to eastern Colorado.  They lived on a farm and tried to make a living, but the range wars were too much for them and they moved to the town of Deer Trail, then into Aurora, Colorado where Thelma completed her high school education, her diploma reads,  “Class of 1919 Colorado Public Schools.  “Be It Known, that Thelma Anderson of School District No. 24 in the County of Elbert has completer the course of Seminary study prescribed for the Public Schools of Colorado.  In Testimony, Where of. This Diploma is given under our hands this 31st day of July A.D. 1919.  Signed:  Minerva L. McCarty, County Superintendent”.   Thelma graduated from High School Class of 1922 Aurora High School, Aurora, Colorado.6

 She had been an artist and painted fine dishware of which two completed sets [one set for her mother that had purple violets and the second one was for her which was a simple gold band around the edge of the plate and a cocoa set with blue forget-me-nots] these sets remain in the family to this day. She liked to draw flowers. While working for the company that sold the dishware she contracted paint poisoning, which almost ended her life.

 A friend introduced her to Jesse and in meeting him all she could see was his red hear and his big feet, she never even dated him.  Jesse left Denver and went to Toledo, Ohio.  The friend asked her if she would write him and her reply was, “If he writes first.”  So the correspondence began.  Then Jesse called her and asked her to marry him.  Her reply was, “If you come to Denver”, so he came to Denver.  The Presbyterian minister, with just a couple of friends and Thelma’s parents, married them in Thelma’s home. Thelma stated that everyone she had dated, the longer she dated them the more she didn’t like about them, so she said if she married Jesse that she would accept him as he was and be happy.  They spent all the married life happy and did not fight nor had a crossword.   After the wedding the couple got in the car and traveled back to Toledo, Ohio, on the way stopping by St Joseph, Missouri to meet Jesse’s parents and some of his siblings. She was soft spoken and would never gossip and her motto in life was, "If you cannot say something nice about someone, don't say it at all!"  This she lived by, for I being her daughter cannot ever remember her saying anything against anyone.  She was a wonderful mother and always had time for everyone else.  She stayed busy in her home and always liked people visiting.  I don’t remember her reading very much, but she was always busy with her hands either sewing, embroidering, crocheting or playing the piano in her spare time and in the evenings while my father read. Thelma was active in church affairs and was in charge of special dinners that were served at the church.

 She cared for both of her parents and grandparents till their deaths while raising me and being a wife.  She was a great cook, and loved trying new recipes [she took pride in her dinners - they always looked like pictures - and her PIES were something out-of-this-world!!] - we never had the same meal twice in a row and never the same dessert.  She had many talents - sewing, handicrafts, crocheting, and she played the piano and organ.

 She liked being outside and growing her roses and the many flowers in her yard.  She was a homemaker all of her married life.  Thelma used her talents to plan and cook many church banquets.  Thelma always gave of herself but never asked for anything in return.  Thelma and Jesse were married 51 years before her death.

  She suffered 17 years from her first stroke 4 July 1963, which cause the right side of her body to be paralyzed and her speed impeded.  After her stoke she returned home and with the determination that she was going to do what she had done before.  She learned to walk, cook, even bake pies, crochet, sew and keep her home.  The only thing she was not able to conquer was her speech, but she managed. She was really a remarkable woman.  She lived with pain the rest of her life.  She enjoyed her grandchildren, "Grandma's little Angels". Her second stroke occurred on 20 May 1980. Cause of death was Ischemic cardiovascular disease. Died from heart failure while eating supper at 6: 05 pm on a Saturday, 30 August 1980. Interred:  Ft. Logan National Cemetery - Grave #6172 Section "Q", in Denver, Colorado. Sources: Bible Record, Obituary Notice, Newspaper clipping, Death certificate, Diploma, Marriage License And first hand knowledge.  By her daughter - Lola Ann [Cole] Kaufman