Francis E. "Gene" Cole

Francis E."Gene" and "Sarge" Cole, 65, of Silvis, Illinois, died suddenly Friday, September 11, 2015, in Dixon, Illinois.

Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline, with The Reverend Tanner Payton officiating. Visitation is 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday. Following visitation, cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory. Burial is in Rock Island National Cemetery, where the Moline American Legion Post #246 will present military honors. Memorials may be made to the family.

Francis Eugene Cole was born October 11, 1949, in Ottumwa, Iowa, the son of Grover Paul and Sarah Leticia (Rhoades) Cole. He married Janet Caldwell on October 19, 1967, in Agency, Iowa. He proudly served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, retiring in 1989 as Sergeant First Class.

After retiring from the U.S. Army, Sarge worked as a welder and truck driver for National Railway. Most recently, he was a truck driver for Murray's Transfer in Davenport. He was a member of Word of Life in Rock Island, the United States Parachute Association, and the NRA. He enjoyed skydiving, and was a talented tattoo artist, owning his own shop for many years. Above all else, he loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He and his grandson had been working on his 1974 Volkswagen trike together.

Gene is survived by his wife, Janet; three children, Ronald Cole of Silvis, Carl Cole, and Theresa (Mike) Haggard of Port Byron, Illinois; grandchildren, Jessica, Alyssa, Justin, and Jonathan Cole, and Kylee and Konner Haggard; great-grandchildren, Tayvion Cagle and MaKenzie Poteat; siblings, Myrtle Dell Hamre of Agency, Lucille (Dale) Miller of Muscatine, Arlene Palmer of Moline, Weltha (Frank) Rojas of Ottumwa, Norma (Jerry) Smith and Clarence Edward Cole, all of Rapids City, Illinois; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a granddaughter, Brenna Geane Haggard; two brothers, Ira and Ray Cole; a sister, Elizabeth Laumeyer; and several nieces and nephews.

Visit Gene's personal tribute page at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com to share stories and condolences, and light a free candle in his memory.