Ardis Cole

Ardis E. Cole, 96, of Waukon died Saturday, June 21, 2014 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 24 at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial was at Oak Hill Cemetery, Lansing. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with arrangements.
Ardis Evelyn Cole was born June 30, 1917 at her parents’ home in the Village Creek area of rural Lansing. She was the daughter of Flavius Myron and Julia Ellen (Miles) Wilder. Ardis attended the Village Creek area schools and then attended high school in Hampton, where she stayed with a cousin.
October 10, 1936 she married Arthur R. Cole in Waukon. After marriage they lived in New Albin and Lansing before starting to farm in rural Village Creek. Following that they rented farms in several northeast Iowa areas before retiring to Lansing. Ardis was a busy homemaker and farmwife and also worked at the Lansing Button Factory and Northern Engraving.
Her favorite pastimes included gardening, raising flowers, playing cards, especially euchre, and dancing. She was an avid NASCAR fan and accomplished at many kinds of handiwork as she sewed and did crochet, embroidery and quilting. Being a loving mother and family oriented, Ardis enjoyed having relatives in her home as often as possible for any kind of get-together.
Survivors include her three children, Helen Christianson of Waukon, Duane Cole of Calmar and Myron (Sandy) Cole of Dubuque; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a brother, Gene (Lotus) Wilder of Waukon. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arthur, who died in 1990; two sisters, Iva Sandry and Ella Wilder; and three brothers, Jim and Mark Wilder, and infant Newton Wilder.
Casketbearers were David Burrett, Jim, Clayton and Devin Cole, Ross Christianson and Blaine Wilder.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.