Mable (Batty) Cole

Mable Batty Cole, 100, of Greenfield, Illinois left this life on November 12, 2019. Mable was born at home on June 21, 1919 in Greenfield, Illinois to William and Bertha Batty, the youngest of five children. She graduated from Greenfield High School in 1937 where she was a member of the band and active in 4H with her future husband. On March 26, 1939 she married the love of her life, Robert Giller Cole. Their initial homestead was the Mary Larkin farm where they raised chickens to help support their growing family – a daughter, Patsy Jilg, and a son, Bob. In 1959, they built their dream home on Prairie Street. Patsy remembers that with the exception of the electrical wiring, her parents did all of the finishing work themselves. She never moved from that house, continuing to live there even after her husband died in 1970.

Mable’s friends and family know that she was a very industrious woman, who turned her passion for selling and creative abilities into several successful business ventures. She took great pride in making quality ceramics and quilted materials. She was always looking for the “next big thing” to stay relevant in her trade. She was fiercely independent and insisted on taking care of herself, continuing to quilt until recently. As much as she loved to create, selling was her true passion and a common theme to all of her endeavors (farming, Sear’s, “Cole’s Ready to Wear”, Cole’s Ceramics, Cole’s Ceramics and Quilts, Cole’s Quilts). As important as these businesses were, one of her most cherished accomplishments was “never missing the Annual Greenfield High School Alumni Banquet”. She received a corsage this year honoring her 80 years of attendance.

Mable made her own way in what was certainly a “man’s world”, living in and watching the world change significantly in those 100 years. She was a wonderful woman, who was a role model and mentor to many, using her talents to support her community, friends, and family. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, showering her family with love. She is and will be very much missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband. She is survived by her daughter, Patsy Cole Jilg and son, Robert (Bob) Cole; six grandchildren (Tod and Robin Jilg of SC, Tracy Jilg of IN, Terry and Julie Jilg of IN, Lauri and Alex Moffett of SC, Robin McNamara of IL, and Rachel and Stephen Boulware of MO), nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 2pm, at Shields-Bishop Funeral Home – 604 Walnut Street, Greenfield, IL. Friends may call from noon until time of funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Greenfield Alumni Association – 1005 NE 550 Street, Greenfield, IL 62044. Online condolences can be left at shields-bishopfh.com

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