Laurel Dee Cole

Laurel Dee Cole

1948-2018

Laurel was born in Seneca, Missouri to Carl and Marjorie Diggs. She grew up loving cats and catching baseballs for her older brother who gave her the nickname “Digger”. She lived in Neosho during her high school years where she met a boy from the country who would become her lifelong sweetheart – John Dee. John and Laurel dated until he went off to college and then they decided to try dating other people – a fact that her mother was unaware of. When John Dee came home from college to visit Laurel, her mother met him at the front door with his high school ring and said that Laurel had been “running around on him”! Laurel quickly ran out the door to stop him from leaving and that was the end of “dating other people”. From that point on John and Laurel’s love story spanned more than fifty years.

They had great adventures traveling through Europe when John was drafted into the Army and stationed in Germany. Upon returning to the states, they lived in a handful of states throughout their marriage and made many friends. While in the Washington D.C. area they started a congregation of the Church of Christ in the basement of their home. Hospitality and serving were just two of Laurel’s talents. She enjoyed reading, cross stitching, and bird watching. However, her most cherished times were when she was spending time with her family. She never hesitated to stop what she was doing to listen to one of her children. She had a knack for making a person feel as if they were the most important person in the world. Her calm, gentle and loving nature were ever present. When the grandchildren came along she delighted in spoiling them with her famous zucchini bread and hugs. Nana was the best! Her hugs were warm and frequent, and her smiles never seemed to end.

Laurel is survived by her husband, John Dee Cole of Guthrie, Oklahoma, her son John and his wife Aubrey of Crescent, Oklahoma, her daughter Suzanne and her husband J. of Katy, Texas, and her son Matthew and his wife Mindy of Guthrie, Oklahoma; 9 beautiful grandchildren, Mikala, Katelyn, Kristina, Hannah, Hannah, Jenna, Cayden, Gavin, and Sophie. She is also survived by her sister Relda Statz of Kingman, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Marjorie Diggs, and brother, Lester Diggs.

While we are sad to not have her with us we know that she has received her reward. She has left a legacy that lives in each of our hearts – a legacy of love. She would want each of us to remember to love God and to love each other.

^“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

~ I Corinthians 13:13

Celebration of life services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Deer Creek Church of Christ in Edmond, OK with interment at 1:00 p.m. at Crescent Cemetery in Crescent, OK.