George Franklin Cole
1847 - 1917
George Franklin Cole was born in Kentucky, probably Barren County, in 1847. His parents were Ira M. Cole and Virginia A. Richardson.
The 1850 Barren County census shows the family living in the 2nd Division, with six children, five boys and a girl. Ira was first married to Louisa Ann Parrish and the first three sons were hers.
Sometime in the 1850s, Ira died. One Barren County newspaper article suggests that he may have been murdered. Virginia Cole then married W. Morgan and they moved to Texas with her three children. They are shown on the 1860 census in Titus County, the nearest post office was Dangerfield. In this census, the children were listed as Morgans.
In 1870, the family was counted twice. By that time, George had married and had a daughter, Anna Virginia. In the first census listing, on July 15, 1870, the surname is Morgan. Virginia Morgan, by this time widowed, lived next door. George's wife's name on this record is Nancy A., born 1845 in Alabama. There is also a three year old girl, "Miriam". They lived in Precinct 3, Davis Couny, post office Cusseta.
On August 27, the census taker came to the house again. This time, the correct surname, Cole, was recorded. George's wife was called Ann on this date, and the three year old child was called Mary.
In George's day book, where he recorded his business dealings, he also recorded the birth dates of his daughters. Included on this page was an entry fo Mary Arabellar Cox, born 1867. This indicates that three-year-old girl in the census was George's step daughter, and that his wife had been married before. Since the courthouse in this county burned, the maiden and/or married name of George's first wife is not known. She died some time before 1879. The child, Mary, apparently died during this time, also, since there is no other record of her. George and Nancy Ann had three daughers together.
On January 1, 1879, George married Annie Smith Kennedy in Red River County. One daugher was born to this union. George died on April 12, 1917. He is buried in the Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, Boxelder, Red River County.
Elizabeth, daugher of George F. and Nancy Ann Cole, with her husband, George Childress and their children.