Irene Mary Cole 67, of Bentleyville, PA died Friday, June 10, 2005at 4:00 p.m. in the Donnell House, Washington following a short illness. 
She was born May 14, 1938 in Bentleyville, PA a daughter of the late Joseph and Anna Slosiar Lanik.
Mrs. Cole was a 1956 graduate of Bentworth High School and a 1959 graduate of California State Teachers College in California, PA. She taught in the Bentworth School District for 34 years before retiring in 1993. In 1959 she was hired at the Bentleyville School System, which merged with Ellsworth to become the Bentworth School District where she taught 6th and 4th grades. She later became the first kindergarten teacher of the Bentworth School District and liked it so much she stayed for 31 years. Mrs. Cole, as she was affectionately known to over 2000 students, returned to the Bentworth School District as a substitute schoolteacher eight years after retiring, to continue her passion of teaching.
She was a member of the Ave Maria Roman Catholic Parish. Mrs. Cole was also a member of the Bentleyville Lioness Club, Bentworth Senior Citizens, Bentworth School Action Committee, Women with Heart Organization, Bentworth PTA, Bentworth Homemakers, Superintendent of the Washington County Fair Needle Point Department, Bentworth Education Association, Pennsylvania State Retired Teachers Association, Ellsworth Homemakers, Washington County Cattleman's Association, Pennsylvania Farmer's Association, Pennsylvania and American Angus Associations and in the 1960's was a 4-H Leader of West Pike Run and Family member of Pike Run 4H Club. 
Mrs. Cole was actively involved in her community delivering meals on wheels and volunteering her time at many charitable spaghetti dinners in the Bentworth Community. 
She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and family on their family farm. She also enjoyed knitting, needle pointing, baking cookies with her grandchildren, reading, traveling, auction, flea marketing, going to Wheeling with her sisters, niece and friends, spending time at the Washington County Fair, making crafts with her Club 56 friends, dinner with the Bubba Club, and being the self appointed Washington Wild Things #1 fan.
Irene was very active within the agricultural community. She lived most of her life on the Lanik Family Farm also known to many as the Bentleyville Picnic Grounds. Throughout her life she participated in the Washington, Greene, Fayette, Jacktown, West Alexander and Allegheny County Fairs as a 4-H member, leader, parent and grandparent. 
On September 3, 1960 she married Ronald S. Cole who survives. 
Also surviving is one daughter - Virginia A. Vasko and her husband William of Bentleyville, PA; one son - Joseph John Cole and his wife Kay of Bentleyville, PA; three granddaughters - Emily Vasko, Jessica and Amanda Cole; two sisters - Lillian Tokar of 
Bentleyville, PA and Mildred Zedar and husband Joseph of Bentleyville, PA; one brother - John Guriel of Bentleyville, PA; step mother-in-law, June Cole of Ellsworth, PA; one sister-in-law - Shirley Skavarek of Charleroi, PA; two brothers-in-law - Gregory Cole of Cokeburg, PA and Jason Cole of Scenery Hill, two nieces - Pat Cornell and her husband Donald of Bentleyville, PA and Rosanne Zedar of Stow, OH; four nephews - Richard Guriel and his wife Denise of Pleasant Hills, PA, Ronald Tokar of Ellsworth, PA, Albert Tokar and wife Toni of East Aurora, NY, and Mark Zedar of Strongsville, OH; great nieces and nephews - Shayna Tokar, Darla Lacey, Marisa Scholey, Jonathon Guriel, Craig Cornell, Blake and Anna Zedar; great great nieces - Lauren and Lindsay Cornell and great great nephew Evan Lacey; one aunt Carrie Carson; cousins - Joseph Vanicheck, Emily Bushick, Barry Carson, Karen Torre, George and Jerry Petrisek, Louise Ann Murray, Susan Muto, Jerry Lanik, William Lanik and several second cousins.
Deceased in addition to her parents are three aunts - Estelle Petrisek, Louise Persha and Mary Vanicheck; uncle - Emil Lanik; cousin - Jerry Lanik; brother-in-law - Albert Tokar and sister-in-law - Tillie Guriel. 
Friends will be received on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. and Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. in the Greenlee Funeral Home, 619 Main St., Bentleyville where a prayer service will be held on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Ave Marie Roman Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. with the Rev. John B. Lendvai officiating. Interment will follow in Beallsville Cemetery, Beallsville, PA. A Rosary service will be held on Monday at 7:00 p.m. The Bentleyville Lioness Club will hold a service on Sunday at 7:00 p.m.
The family suggests donations may be made to the: Bentleyville Public Library, 931 Main St., Bentleyville, PA 15314 or the Donnell House/Washington Hospital Hospice in memory of Irene Cole, 155 Wilson Ave, Washington, PA 15301.