Octavia Cole

Harriet Octavia (Buckley) Cole was the loving wife of Edwards J. Cole, Sr., mother of six, grandmother of thirteen and great-grandmother to eight. Mrs. Cole relocated from Mississippi in the 1950s to Champaign, Illinois with her husband and children. She served in several different employment and community service capacities within the Champaign-Urbana area..

Mrs. Cole did not complete her high school education while in Mississippi, however, wanting to be an example for her children and others, she was not content to settle for this.

While working, Mrs. Cole enrolled in classes and received her G.E.D. from the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC). Mrs. Cole had worked as a domestic engineer, with White Line Laundry, Magnavox, Francis Nelson Health Center, Eisner Bakery and Sears.

Mrs. Cole's community service accomplishments included membership in Church Women United; NCNW, Urban League Guild (former President), NAACP, Champaign County Cooperative Extension Home-Makers (Mary Bethune Unit) where she had recruited and mentored many young women, 4-H Leader, Cub Scout Leader, Champaign County Election Judge, Sunday School Superintendent/Director, Sunday School teacher, Deaconess and Choir member.

She had for many years been a Mt. Olive Baptist Church delegate to the Wood River District Association, Baptist General State Congress of Illinois and National Baptist Convention. Mrs. Cole is now deceased.