Chris Cole, age 74, of 544 Dakota Ave. N, Huron, SD, died after a fifteen month battle with lymphoma on April 27, 2009. Chris was surrounded by his family in his final weeks and days and passed away in the place that he has called home since 1966.

His memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Huron. The family will be present at Welter Funeral Home to greet friends on Thursday, April 30, from 4-8 p.m.

His body has been cremated and burial of his cremated remains will be held at a later date in Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd, MN.

Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

Christopher Weldon Cole was born in Brainerd, MN, on February 26, 1935, to Ralph and Agnes (Templeton) Cole. The family relocated briefly to Indiana before moving back to Brainerd where Chris graduated from Brainerd High School in 1954.

On June 8, 1959, Chris married Marianne Hill in Brainerd, MN. The couple lived in Brainerd and Bemidji, MN, before moving west to South Dakota in the Summer of 1965.

Chris worked as a sales representative for several national companies including Buster Brown, Munsingwear, and Vassarette. Chris' territory was the Upper Great Plains which he traveled faithfully and safely for more than thirty years. Later in his career, he sold advertising in the local and regional radio and newspaper markets.

He will be remembered as a loving and generous husband and father. On the rare weeknights he was home and on weekends, Chris made family his one priority. He taught all of his children how to drive, how to play catch and how to compete in the world. He was a strict disciplinarian as a parent who displayed a much softer touch once his grandchildren began arriving.

Chris was an avid sports fan, especially of the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. Naturally, he was a great supporter of the underdog in most sporting events. He was a lifelong listener of WCCO Sports Personality Sid Hartman. Chris broadcasted local sporting events during his younger days in Brainerd. He also worked at his father's business, "Cole's Sport Shop", for a number of years.

Chris had a passion for photography and was a collector of vintage photographic equipment. He was fascinated by politics and loved "Meet the Press", which aired every Sunday at the Cole household for thirty-three years. He was always willing to play the devil's advocate in any debate.

He was also well-known for his love of big band music, Frank Sinatra, and college "fight" songs. Chris loved dogs and he was especially fond of his Labrador retriever, Calli.

Chris was especially proud of his granddaughter, Erinn Osborne of Brookings and two spirited grandsons, Hayden Cole and Parker Cole of Sioux Falls, SD.

A loving and grateful family survives Chris, including his wife and best friend for the past fifty-two years, Marianne of Huron; 3 children, daughters Christy (Kurt) Osborne of Brookings, SD, Cindy (John) Hagen of Bailey, CO, and son Michael (Andrea) of Sioux Falls, SD; 1 brother, Stephen Cole, of Hopkins, MN; 1 sister, Catherine Bliss, of Champlin, MN; 1 sister-in-law, Kathleen (Michael) Burton of Nisswa, MN; his good friend and cousin, Donald (Carol) Crust of Brainerd, MN; and several nieces and nephews.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Agnes Cole.