Violet Jewel Cole, 80, was born in Ionia County, Mich., on July 29, 1916, and passed away in Weiser, Idaho, on Dec. 31, 2006.
Vi’s Funeral Service will be held Friday, Jan. 5, 2007, 1 p.m. at the Pine Baptist Church in Halfway, Ore. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception immediately following the service at the Pine Baptist Church. Interment will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway, Ore.
Vi was the first-born child of John Birman and Esther Hess Birman. In 1933, the family moved to Roseburg, Ore., area where she met and married Daniel Cole in 1935.
Vi and Dan lived in Montana and Idaho before moving to Seattle during World War II where she worked as a “Rosie the Riveter.” They moved to the Hells Canyon area in 1945, which was the beginning of her “river rat” days. They bought the Hells Canyon General Store and Gas Station and Vi became the Homestead Postmaster, a career that continued until Homestead was flooded by the dam in the early 1960’s when she transferred to the Oxbow Post Office.
After she retired in 1971, she and Dan enjoyed developing their new property at Herman Creek. She loved horseback riding, hunting and fishing and was very proud of her sturgeon catch.
Vi was the oldest of eight children and is survived by sisters; Kay Page of Weiser, Idaho; Barbara Birman of Everett, Wash., brothers, Alvin Birman and his wife, Avis of Portland, Ore., and James Birman and his wife, Audrey of Winston, Ore.; numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dan in 1979; two brothers one sister.
Those wishing to make a memorial contribution in memory of Vi may do so to The National Wildlife Federation through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home P.O. Box 543 Halfway, OR 97834
Used with permission from: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, January, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
