- Born
- circa 1906
- Died
- 1937-01-01
- Siblings
- Everett Cole
- Member of
- Beaver Island Transit Company
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- maritimecommunityheritage
- Within
- Saint James
Summary
Raymond Cole, also called Ray in the primary crew list, was Everett Cole’s brother and one of the five men killed in the Marold II explosion. His body was recovered aboard the J. Oswald Boyd.
Evidence and limits
The primary report gives conflicting ages of 30 and 33 in two passages. The record preserves both rather than choosing one. It does not assert a birth date, spouse, children, or complete company history.
Open questions
- Which civil, cemetery, or company records establish Raymond Cole’s full identity and chronology?
- Where were the Cole brothers buried after the double funeral at Brookside Cemetery?
Namesake
Distinct from Raymond Cole, a Beaver Island School graduate named in a 1974 commencement report — nearly four decades after this Raymond Cole’s 1937 death, so they cannot be the same man. The Holy Cross Cemetery index separately lists a Raymond Cole married to Grace (Gillespie) Cole (1908–1998); this Raymond Cole (age 30–33 at his January 1937 death, so born circa 1904–1907) was buried at Brookside Cemetery per the held funeral report, not Holy Cross, so he is likely not the same man as Grace’s husband either, though this is not established either way.
See also
Kin
Sources
- Charlevoix County Herald, January 8, 1937, “Coast Guards Abandon Search for Three Men Missing in Marold II Explosion.”Names Ray Cole, age 30 in the first crew list, and Raymond Cole, age 33 in the recovery notice, as Everett’s brother and one of the five men killed; his body was found aboard the Boyd. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
- Charlevoix Courier, 2003, “Many ferries have served the island,” scrapbook section.Names Everett and Raymond Cole as brothers and residents of St. James who died in the Marold explosion. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
Added 1 August 2026 · revised 2 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Raymond Cole”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/raymond-cole-marold-1937/, accessed [date], citing Charlevoix County Herald, January 8, 1937, “Coast Guards Abandon Search for Three Men Missing in Marold II Explosion.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-02. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.