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A Letter From Reverend Glenn Cole To His Dad
August 4th, 1974…a day that our (all the children of Sonny and Inez Cole), lives
changed forever. Today, August 4th, 2004, there are not any headlines in the
newspaper, no news clips on CNN or even the local TV stations, but we remember
that day as clearly today as we did then…the day our Dad passed from this walk
of life into eternal rest. It is hard to believe that 30 years have passed since
that day, but it has been.
I sit here thinking back to that day, I remember the phone call came about 2
o’clock in the afternoon. DiAnn and I had just gotten home from church on that
Sunday afternoon. Little did we realize when we got up that Sunday morning this
would be the day that we would lose our Dad, even though we all knew deep within
our hearts that it was coming, but no one seemed to want to talk about that. On
the way over to Mother and Daddy’s house I remember telling DiAnn this was a day
that I had dreaded for a long time.
When we arrived, family and friends had already started to gather knowing that
his time on earth was short and everyone wanted to be there to spend as much
time as possible with him. The mood was somber yet there were lighter moments as
we talked about old times with old friends. And we remembered, did we ever
remember…his laugh, his ever present smile, his sternness when necessary and all
the things that went on in our lives…and then about 3 minutes before 10 PM he
quietly slipped away.
On Wednesday, August 7th, 1974 we had his funeral at the Bryant Assembly of God
church…boy what a crowd, family, friends, business people…you name it, they were
there to pay their respects to a special man whom they admired and respected.
Even though the church seated between 250 and 300, not everyone could get
inside. Cars were in the parking lot, along side the street and even parked in
the middle of the street. It took about 1 hour just for everyone to walk by for
the final viewing. There were business people, men and women, openly weeping and
wiping tears as they viewed the remains of this man. What a tribute to our Dad!
As I sit here today, I remember….
His passions:
1. He was passionate about God and church. He knew where God brought him from. I
have heard him tell the story many times about the night he got saved…when he
started through the gate to the sidewalk leading up to the house; he saw not 1
but 2 gates because he was drunk. (I don’t remember our Dad from those days
since I was only about 1 year old when he got saved). But within 15 minutes of
accepting the Lord as Savior he sober. He never tried to force people to his
beliefs, but give him a chance and he would tell you about the Lord. When he
stood to testify during a testimony service, he would sit down and jump back up
and this may happen 3 or 4 times during his testimony.
2 He was passionate about his family. There was never any doubt that he loved us
all equally, of course it was only natural that he felt things about certain
children. To explain….there was Nettie, named after Grandma Treadway, his and
Mother’s “firstborn” or oldest child. Then there was Elton who was his 1st and
oldest son and was given the middle name Eli after his own father. Let me jump
past Mary, Carolyn, Ronnie and myself down to Pam, his last child and the baby
of the family. He knew this would be his last child and she got away with things
that even the oldest could not get away with. There is no envy or jealousy in
these words or between any of the siblings, because overall, we were all loved
equally, just in different ways. There was Ida Jo that he and Mother took on the
responsibility of raising after Grandma and Grandpa Treadway passed away. She
was treated just like all the rest of Dad’s own biological children and he loved
her just like one of his own.
2. Continuing with family, there was our Mother, his wife and the love of his
life. Anytime he made extra money, he would stop at J. C. Penny Co. and buy here
a new dress or a new skirt and blouse. No special occasion, such as a birthday
or anniversary, he would do it just to say “I love you”. When she would wear the
new dress or skirt and blouse, he never failed to tell her how good it looked on
her and he always was proud of the way she looked, after all, that was his wife.
He never failed to kiss her when he started to leave the house and again when he
came home.
3. He was passionate about his grandkids. From Tony, that first grandson all the
way to Phillip, Tammy, Lin, Tim, Lisa, Cavin and Keith. If he had been here when
Dawn was born, he would have loved her so much…but I am sure that he knows who
she is. There was Don & Peggy who he treated like his grandkids, not a nephew
and niece.
4. He was passionate about his work. Not a glamorous job in a high rise office
building, but his business, trash hauling. Some people thought he was just a
“trash man”, but I remember the respect he received from those in the business
world and that was respect was earned. Earned because he thought you should
always do a good job and not only empty the boxes and barrels or trash bins, but
you should also pick up any thing that spilled on the ground. If the cans or
barrels had lids the lid should be on the can or barrel when you leave. If the
trash bin had a lid, close it before you leave. He did not give us lectures
about doing a good job, but he showed us by being an example for us. He thought
everyone should work and when Elton, Ronnie and I got old enough he put us to
work. During the school year he always had something for us to do after school
and if you did not do what he said, you suffered the consequences. Like the time
he told Ronnie and I clean up the back lots and stack those wooden crates.
Ronnie and I decided we wanted to go up to the garage, Buster Brown’s place on
Fair Park Blvd. When he came home and we were not doing what he said, he took
out his pocket knife, cut him a switch, and ask Tom and Elton if they wanted to
go with him, which they promptly declined. He walked up to the garage and
whipped Ronnie and I all the way home and we still had to clean up the back lots
and stack the wooden crates.
5. He was passionate about honesty…no matter what the consequences would be,
always tell the truth. His motto in life was “treat people like you would like
to be treated”. I learned from him that your don’t have to remember the truth as
it is a part of you, but if are deceptive and lie about things you have to
remember what you told to whom and eventually those lies will catch up with you.
Epilog:
Today, after 30 years, I still miss him so much and hardly a day goes by that I
don’t think of him and Mother. So many memories of growing up in a family where
love was abound, a stern and firm hand of discipline was there when necessary,
family altar was every morning and every night and sitting around a supper table
every night talking over the events of the day, Daddy at the head of the table,
Mother to his right, Mary next to Mother, Nettie next to Mary, Carolyn at the
end, Ronnie next to her right side, myself next to Ronnie’s right, Elton next to
my right just to Daddy’s left and when Pam came along, in a high chair between
Mother and Daddy. I cannot imagine growing up in a better environment.
Daddy,
Today we remember you on this the 30 year anniversary of your passing. Thank you
the love, care, guidance, discipline and teaching that you gave during your
short time here on this earth.
You were there for us, through the good times and the bad. You were never
judgmental or condemning but always helped us get through the things in our
lives.
Thank you for the 2 times that you visited me since your passing…that first time
when you were there to tell me NO! And the second time when said, “Son, very
soon you will begin to receive revelations. Believe what you receive and
proclaim them.” That has revolutionized my life and ministry. Thanks for the
memories you gave us…for that we always be grateful.
Love Always,
Glenn
Your #3 Son
PS I just received my AARP magazine. It is hard to believe that everyone us, all
the brothers and sisters, are over 50 years of age. I remember the day Daddy
turned 50. His birthday would be the next day, Sunday, and this was on Saturday
the 13th and we were on our way to Morrilton for church and we talked about
Daddy being an “antique” at 50 years of age…doesn’t seem so “antique”.
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