Donald "Don" Gene Cole

The funeral service will be livestreamed at:  https://www.ourlivingwater.org/doncole.html

Donald "Don" Gene Cole, age 66, of Willmar, passed away Thursday, July 18, at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis.  There wasn’t an illness Don couldn’t “walk off” until he met cancer, which he fought endlessly. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 25, at the Church of St. Mary.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Kandiyohi County Food Shelf, the Church of St. Mary in Willmar, or the American Cancer Society.  Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Don was born on April 2, 1958, in Lincoln, Kansas, to Bill and Eldora Cole. He grew up in the town of Beverly, KS, where his family raised dogs and ran a paper route for more than 10 years. Many afternoons were spent playing football, basketball, or baseball with family and friends, then when evening came the game changed to “Old Grey Wolf”. As all Coles do, Don enjoyed catfishing with his dad. 

Don worked at the rock quarry in Lincoln, KS, to put himself through college. He attended Kansas State University where he graduated with a Business Management degree but spent most of his time cheering on the Wildcats. 

After college, he moved to Fremont, NE, to begin working for Hormel. While in Fremont, Don met the love of his life, Jan, on a blind date in 1982. He stole her heart by bringing flowers picked from a flower bed at work for their first Valentine’s Day. They were married on August 6, 1983, on a very rainy day in Fremont.

Don and Jan couldn’t wait to start a family and had three children Aaron, Rebecca and Nathan. Goofy as always, Don was sure to instill his children with all his best shenanigans including how to make aluminum can rockets with firecrackers, basketball trick shots and how to send a toy paratrooper up a kite string. Soon after Nathan was born, Don’s career with Hormel took the family to Austin, MN, in 1994. He later transferred to Jennie-O Turkey Store where he worked at plants in Willmar, Marshall and Pelican Rapids, MN. 

In 2012, Don and Jan moved back to Willmar, MN, where Don worked at the Jennie-O corporate office. With a house on the golf course, Don used the opportunity to work on his golf game. In fact, after retiring in 2017 he loved golf so much Don and Jan found a second home in Surprise, AZ, so he could golf year-round.

While Don enjoyed golf, what truly brought him joy was meeting and spending time with his grandchildren Hannah, Theo and Scout. Whether he was squirting them with a squirt gun, taking them mini-golfing or sneaking them ice cream, Don was always finding ways to make their time together fun.

He is survived by his wife, Jan Cole; three children, Aaron (Brittany) Cole, Rebecca (Aaron) Lambert and Nathan (Bailey) Cole; three grandchildren Hannah, Theo and Scout; five siblings, Jim (Paula) Cole, Ken (Jaynell) Cole, Bob (Kim) Cole, JoAnn (Tracy) Mote, Dave (Sharon) Cole; brother-in-law, Andy Greene and numerous nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Eldora Cole and a sister, Maxine Greene.