Alma was born, Matilda Almagene COLE in Kansas, to Harry COLE and Jessie Pearl GUTTERY Cole. Alma was the 6th and last child in her fmaily. Harry was a pastor for the Nazarene Church. They learned to live with very little, as the pay for the Pastor was what was left over in the offering plate after all church financial obligations were met. The Cole family was grateful for the generousity of the congregation bringing food items from their farms. Sometimes Alma had pieces of cardboard put in her shoes that had holes in the soles. Most of her clothes and shoes were hand-me-downs. And as she use to say to her daughter, "I was sorry I had no shoes, untill I saw the man who had no feet". A far different climate in years gone by than that of today. Alma's father, Harry was deaf in one ear and blind in the other eye and did not see or hear an oncoming train and was killed in his car when Alma was 11 years old. Jessie was left to raise Alma and her older brother David, the children still left at home. They moved frequently trying to survive. Alma moved to California during WWII to work in the factories. After the war she was living in Laguna Beach when a friend introduced her to Kenny Thompson, who she married and then moved to Santa Barbara when she married. Alma became a genealogist addict after Kenny passed away. She started tracing her roots long before the age of the PC. Although once they were around and could be used with genealogy programs she used her computer to do her genealogy, even writing a book of her ancestry, making sure her living siblings and nieces and nephews each had a copy. Alma was very proud and active in one of her favorite groups, DAR-Daughters of the American Revolution. Alma traced her roots back to Charlemagne. God gave Alma a great life in which He richly blessed. Alma is now reunited with all of her family members in her heavenly home.
Alma was born, Matilda Almagene COLE in Kansas, to Harry COLE and Jessie Pearl GUTTERY Cole. Alma was the 6th and last child in her fmaily. Harry was a pastor for the Nazarene Church. They learned to live with very little, as the pay for the Pastor was what was left over in the offering plate after all church financial obligations were met. The Cole family was grateful for the generousity of the congregation bringing food items from their farms. Sometimes Alma had pieces of cardboard put in her shoes that had holes in the soles. Most of her clothes and shoes were hand-me-downs. And as she use to say to her daughter, "I was sorry I had no shoes, untill I saw the man who had no feet". A far different climate in years gone by than that of today. Alma's father, Harry was deaf in one ear and blind in the other eye and did not see or hear an oncoming train and was killed in his car when Alma was 11 years old. Jessie was left to raise Alma and her older brother David, the children still left at home. They moved frequently trying to survive. Alma moved to California during WWII to work in the factories. After the war she was living in Laguna Beach when a friend introduced her to Kenny Thompson, who she married and then moved to Santa Barbara when she married. Alma became a genealogist addict after Kenny passed away. She started tracing her roots long before the age of the PC. Although once they were around and could be used with genealogy programs she used her computer to do her genealogy, even writing a book of her ancestry, making sure her living siblings and nieces and nephews each had a copy. Alma was very proud and active in one of her favorite groups, DAR-Daughters of the American Revolution. Alma traced her roots back to Charlemagne. God gave Alma a great life in which He richly blessed. Alma is now reunited with all of her family members in her heavenly home.
