Ora Belle "Gabby" (Purdue) Cole

Ora Belle "Gabby" Purdue Cole, age 72, resident of Somerville, retired Fayette County School Bus Driver and wife of Daniel L. Cole, departed this life Friday evening, May 22, 2015 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Services of Remembrance for Mrs. Cole were conducted at 2 P.M. Thursday, May 28, 2015 at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville. Interment followed in the Perry Cemetery at Laconia. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center - Main Chapel of Somerville.

Mrs. Cole was born April 19, 1943 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Purdue and Donnie Rylie Purdue. She received her education in the Tallulah, Louisiana Public School System and was married in 1971 to Daniel L. Cole, who survives. Mrs. Cole was employed as a school bus driver for Fayette County School System and enjoyed knitting, sewing and drawing. She was of the Baptist faith and was a resident of Fayette County after moving from Louisiana.

In addition to her husband of 43 years, Mrs. Cole is survived by three daughters, Joyce Ann Cole (Gary) of Oakland, Leslie Cannon (Curtis) of Somerville, Shelley Prather (Todd) of Verdigris, OK; her sister, Betty Nixon (R.B.) of Vicksburg, MS; five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three sisters and her grandson, Matthew Dillon Cole.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Samuel Neal, Michael Lykins, Dustin Coulston, Gary Taylor, Jr., James Owens, Jr. and Paul Cannon. H onorary pallbearers were James Owens, Sr., Jonathan Coulston, Leon Allen, Andrew Cannon and Floyd Glover.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Perry Cemetery Association, c/o Carol Glover, 7050 Highway 76, Somerville, TN 38068 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Department 142, Memphis, TN 38148.