Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1898 - 1947 (49 years)| Name | Fred Clifton COLE [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | |
| Suffix | Sr. | |
| Birth | 22 Aug 1898 | Durham, North Carolina  |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Fred C. Cole, 1 of Sumter's premier umpires One of Sumter 's earliest baseball teams illustrates the town's love for the sport. (Part 1 of a 2-part series) Baseball has garnered a great deal of local and national attention due to the remarkable successes of the University of South Carolina, the local P-15's Legion team, the local high schools and our youth teams sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department. Sumter has sent a large number of young men to the college and professional ranks over the course of time. Many of these athletes have experienced remarkable success; perhaps the most outstanding is Bobby Richardson who excelled at second base for the New York Yankees during the 1960s. Richardson completed several seasons as a starter and received numerous awards while establishing a number of records yet to be surpassed. The history of Sumter baseball can be traced far into the past as team photos from the 1890s bare witness to the game's popularity. Sumter High's 1927 ball team won the state championship with large crowds of avid fans supporting their efforts. Invigorated by the success of local clubs, Sumter began an American Legion Program in 1929 becoming the second city in South Carolina to do so. FRED CLIFTON COLE Fortunately for the Sumter community, Fred Clifton Cole decided to move here in 1927. Cole, a native of Durham, N.C., was born Aug. 22, 1898, and died Oct. 9, 1947. He married Lillian White Cole in 1926, and they had six children: Eleanor Patterson, Rose Smith, Joanne Crawford, Marguerite Veltre, Fred Clifton Jr. and Patricia Ciampi. Cole was a veteran of the World War I serving with the famous 30th Division, a U.S. Army unit credited with "breaking the Hindenburg line." He would remain in France on active duty for 11 months; while fighting in the Argonne Forest, he was gassed and would suffer from the effects of this incident for the remainder of his life. In 1927, he moved his new bride to Sumter and according to his own words, "You couldn't run me out now." He began work as a meat cutter in a grocery store located on South Main Street. His children think that this vocation led to his interest in the restaurant business as he later opened Kelly's Coffee Shop located directly across from The City Ice Company on South Main. The family soon opened the Sandwich Shop located across from the Yellow Cab stand on South Main Street in 1946 which was managed by Lillian Cole and her daughters. "Skin," as Mr. Cole was known to his friends, enjoyed a lifelong love affair with baseball beginning with his joining the old Carolina League. He played for the Greensboro, Durham, High Point and Raleigh programs. He quickly became known for his power hitting and noted for his flawless play in right field. According to an article written for The Sumter Daily Item in 1940, he was "the Babe Ruth of his day. Every fence in the league bore the marks of his blasting at the end of each season." Spring was the time when the minds of sports fans turned to baseball. Cole worked as an umpire in the city league while living in Durham and soon became very active in local baseball programs after settling his family in Sumter. Employed at Sumter's Municipal Stadium, owned by the city and considered by many to be the finest such facility in the South, Cole was one of the reasons why the Sumter facility remained in excellent condition. Due to his attention and expertise, the Sumter Stadium, including the diamond and outfield, was always impeccable. He had the ability to keep the grass green and "the sod firm and springy." Cole helped oversee the installation of lights at the stadium in 1940, and according to the late "Bubba" McElveen, "Cole was at the stadium when the Detroit Tigers played an exhibition game against the Cincinnati Reds. Hank Greenberg, one of the games most popular players, hit a homer over the scoreboard in center field in front of a capacity crowd." Cole rapidly became a legend as an umpire in his adopted community. He officiated hundreds of games and frequently reminded players that he was blessed with perfect eyesight. An incident concerning a disagreement on his calls was highlighted in an article printed by The Sumter Daily Item. According to reports, Cole stated that "a few of the players against whom he made calls suggested to him in a kindly manner that he consult one of the better optometrists. For these critics, "Skin" had a good comeback. "I never yet called a play wrong on the baseball field. If you think that decision was wrong, read about it in your newspaper; you'll see who was right." Many of the Sumter faithful often went to the games just to hear Cole call balls and strikes in his booming voice. He was often seen discussing controversial calls with those at the ball park. Fans sought him out and valued his insights into the finer points of the game. Locals knew that if they wanted the correct "lowdown on any close decision about the game, "just ask 'Skin."' Cole would eventually give up his job as an umpire to focus completely on keeping Municipal Park in perfect condition. Nevertheless, according to the late Mayor McElveen, "Cole was one of the most popular men in Sumer and was loved by all the fans." His entertainment value extended beyond the baseball diamond; a gifted singer and dancer, he was part of the local performing arts scene well before radio and television became widespread. Fred Clifton Cole died in 1947 at the age of 49, and baseball lost one of its most ardent supporters. Shoeless Joe Jackson once remarked that he loved the game so much that he would have played for nothing; I believe the same could be said for Fred Cole. The Cole family shared their father's interest in baseball and the restaurant business resulting in the opening of Cole's Drive-In and Restaurant in 1952 at the intersection of Bultman and Broad Streets. The building was located in what was then a rural section of the rapidly developing Sumter community. Mrs. Lillian Cole operated this facility for several decades until her death in 1986; the business was then managed by four of her daughters: Eleanor, Rose, Joanne and Marguerite until 1999 when the property was sold and the restaurant was subsequently closed. The author of Reflections used information obtained from Eleanor Patterson, Rose Smith, the McElveen Archives and The Item Archives to prepare this article. Reach Sammy Way at (803) 774-1294. Posted in Reflections on Sunday, July 3, 2011 [5] | |
| MILI | He was a veteran of the World War I serving with the famous 30th Division, a U.S. Army unit credited with “Breaking the Hindenburg line.” He would remain in France on active duty for 11 months; while fighting in the Argonne Forest, he was gassed and would suffer from the effects of this incident for the remainder of his life. [5] | |
| Occupation | He opened Cole’s Drive-In and Restaurant in 1952 at the intersecion of Bultman and Broad Streets. [5] | |
| _UID | 4176FEBB551042DAAB0985F9C7C3EE8722A1 | |
| Death | 9 Oct 1947 [5, 7] | |
| Person ID | I124630 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 15 Jul 2022 | |
| Family | Lillian Mae WHITE, b. 14 Jun 1906 d. 1996/86 (Age 179 years) | |||||||||||||
| Marriage | 16 Jul 1927 [8] | |||||||||||||
| _UID | 3BCF7E2C7F124BC78913A1A3EB8BBDF66017 | |||||||||||||
| _UID | 3BCF7E2C7F124BC78913A1A3EB8BBDF66017 | |||||||||||||
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| Family ID | F85669 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||||
| Last Modified | 12 Jun 2004 | |||||||||||||
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