Marsha Cole

Bangor – Marsha (Ostlund) Cole, 65, passed away August 1st at a Bangor hospital after a 5 month illness. She was born April 2nd, 1951 in Caribou, Maine, the middle child of Ralph and Edith Ostlund.
Marsha graduated from Caribou High School in 1969 and received her degree in education from the University of Maine in 1973. In the summer of 1973, on July 14th she married her college sweetheart, Gary Cole. She taught elementary school after graduating then became a stay at home mom when her oldest child was born in 1976. Her real life work began when she volunteered her teaching skills at the Good Samaritan Agency in Bangor teaching pregnant teenagers. She worked hard to help them get their high school degrees and many went on to college thanks to her tireless efforts. She was awarded the prestigious 2 Those Who Care award in 2001 for her 20 plus years of volunteering there and the countless young girls she helped. Marsha was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Bangor where she raised her family and was actively involved with the United Methodist Women. At church she put on countless luncheons and was always in charge of the Christmas booth at the yearly church fair. She also spent many years teaching Sunday School to hundreds of children. The family would like to thank everyone at the church for their ongoing thoughts and prayers, especially her good friend Lonna Sequin, who spent countless hours by her side letting her know she was loved.
Marsha was a caring wife, loving mother and proud Grammy who will be greatly missed. When her children were growing up she was the neighborhood Mom, all kids were welcome to come over and many often stayed for dinner. She loved spending her summers at Green Lake picking hundreds of quarts of blueberries each year. Her grandchildren will always remember Grammy’s blueberry pancakes and blueberry muffins as they are the best. Every Christmas she made the holiday season special for her grandchildren by baking and decorating cookies and always having special ornaments she made for each of them.
Marsha is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Garret Cole, her son James Cole and his wife Sara of Ashland, Massachusetts, her daughter Kristin Cole Vogell and her husband Eric of Scarborough, Maine. Four adoring grandchildren, Alexander and Zachary Cole, and Hannah and Abigail Vogell. Mother and Father in law Galen and Suzanne Cole; brother, Jeffrey Ostlund Sr. and his wife Sun; sister Carole Ringer and her husband Robert; sister in law Ann Parke and her husband George, brother in law Richard Cole and his wife Jane, sister in law Janet Cole Cross and her husband William, brother in law Galen Cole Jr. and his wife Michelle; she is also survived by many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents.
Relatives and friends are invited to visiting hours 5 to 7pm Friday, August 5, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex Street, Bangor where a funeral service will be held 1pm Saturday, August 6, 2016 with the Rev. Arlene Tully officiating. All are invited for a reception in the fellowship hall immediately following the service Saturday. Interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor. Those who wish to remember Marsha in a special way may make gifts in her memory to the Memorial Funds of the First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex Street, Bangor, ME 04401 or to the Good Samaritan Agency, 100 Ridgewood Drive, Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.