Dates
Billie James Cole passed away peacefully on January 22, 2015 in his home surrounded by his family.
Bill was born on October 19, 1925 to Eugene Bennett Cole and Minnie Mae Cheshire Cole in Coleman, Texas.
Bill served for two years (1944-1946) in the United States Air Force with the 65th Bombardment Squadron (aka the “Lucky Dicers”) as a Staff Sergeant. During his service, he saw action in Japan, China, Philippines, Luzon and Western Pacific. His airplane was shot down and four of his crewman did not survive.
Bill received his high school degree from Langley High School during basic training. After the war, he married Jamie Sue McEntire on July 17, 1947 in San Angelo, Texas and moved to Oklahoma to attend the University of Oklahoma to acquire a degree in Geology, while working two jobs to support his family.
After college, Bill worked as a geologist in Lovington, New Mexico for a year, but decided to move back to Sterling City, Texas where he owned Cole Butane and Appliance Company for several years. In 1963, he built Cole Feed Lot which had a capacity of 32,000 sheep in Sterling City. In 1969, Custom Skin Company was established in San Angelo, Texas which was a salting and drying operation for sheepskins which he later sold to his son, Jim.
Bill began his ranching career by leasing several ranches, running sheep and cattle with operations spread over Texas, Colorado, California and Nevada. Eventually, he became one of the single largest individual producers of sheep and wool within the United States and was even mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. He later bought ranches in Crockett, Glasscock, Sterling, Schleicher and Val Verde counties on which he ran his livestock. Bill’s favorite saying was “If you’re fortunate to acquire a piece of land leave it better than you found it.” He received the Outstanding Conservation Rancher award from Crockett County in 2005. Bill continued his conservation on all of his ranches through good brush management, wildlife management and erosion control.
Bill is preceded in death by both of his parents, Minnie Mae Cheshire and Eugene Bennett Cole, his brothers, Alvie Lee Cole and Willard Eugene Cole, and his beloved wife, Jamie Sue Cole.
He is survived his sons James Willard Cole and his wife Virginia, and Phillip Eugene Cole and wife Sandy of San Angelo, TX, and his daughter Carolyn Cole Bloodworth and husband Bert of Midland, TX as well as his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Tammye Cole Jackson, her husband Matt and her children Jake, Annaleigh and Christiana; Misty Cole Keeney, her husband Monty and her children Mason and Myles; Holly Cole Brannan, her husband Tim and her children Nixon, Jackson and Hayes; Cole Lee Bloodworth, his wife Megan and his children Patrick and Bennett; James Sterling Cole, his wife Alicia and his children Sutton and Sloan; Allen Rice Bloodworth; James Wesley Cole; Amanda Sue Cole; his sister Myrna Cameron of Las Vegas, NV and several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers who made him comfortable during his last years: Michelle Oberson, Delia Ybarra, Sara Martinez, Alma De La Rosa and Gentiva Hospice.
Visitation will be Saturday from 4-6 pm at his home, 1930 South Concho Drive, San Angelo, Texas. Graveside services will be January 25, 2015 at 3 pm in the Montvale Cemetery in Sterling City, Texas. Services are under direction of Shaffer Funeral Home/Sherwood Way.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meals for the Elderly, SPCA or your favorite charity.