2024 52 Ancestors: Step - Pop Cole

On 19 August 1961, William Martin Cole married Beatrice Bethel (Dixon) Dean in Lawndale, Los Angeles, California and officially became the step-father to her five grown daughters, one of which was also getting married that very same day in Palos Verdes! He would from then on be known as "Pop" Cole.

William Martin Cole arrived in the world just one year and one day after his parents, Jessie Washington Dillon and Alach Henry Cole, were married. He was born 16 May 1893 in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia. His younger sister Margaret was born five years later.

Margaret Ellen Cole, undated.

The Cole family rented a cabin on Big Wheeling Creek, near where the Deans lived, so William grew up alongside Chester Dean (Beatrice's first husband) and the two men were friends. This is how William and Beatrice first met organically, while they were each married to their first spouses: William to Wilma Strautman and Beatrice to Chester Dean. William was known to the Dean family as Willie at that time.

In 1930, William's sister, Margaret Cole, married a man named Thomas Gilmore Hogg. He went by "Tommy." They had one child together in 1932, Alach Henry Cole (named after his grandfather), but their marriage quickly dissolved after their son's conception (hence Alach carrying his mother's maiden name of Cole). Funny enough, in 1936, Tommy went on to marry Mary Lucretia Dixon, Beatrice (Dixon) Dean's sister!

Thomas Gilmore Hogg and Mary Lucretia Dixon, 6 Jul 1936.

Fast forward to August 1961, Beatrice's brother-in-law's ex-wife, Margaret, became Beatrice's sister-in-law when she married William.

William Martin "Pop" Cole and Beatrice Bethel (Dixon) Dean Cole, 1 Jan 1965.

There's a saying in these parts..."It's all relative in West Virginia." At least in this case, those relatives are all by marriage. "Pop" and Beatrice remained married the rest of their days, and their combined families showed nothing but love and support for their union.

(Left: Sheila (Dean) Pendleton, Thelma (Dean) Mays, Beatrice (Dixon) Dean Cole, William Cole, Edna (Dean) Millhouse, Mary Ruth (Dean) Marsh, Aug 1971; Right: Charlotte (Cole) Bailey, William Cole, Alach Cole, Dorothy (Cole) Boyd, Aug 1971)

William "Pop" Cole and Beatrice (Dixon) Dean Cole, 10th wedding anniversary, May 1972; collage made by daughter Sheila (Dean) Pendleton.

While known as "Pop" to Beatrice's kids, he affectionately became known as "Pap Pap" to his grandchildren and the generations following. Beatrice took on the nickname of "Mamoo" when her granddaughter Cindy couldn't say "Grandma" and the other grandchildren fell in line. 

And now that younger offspring are joining the family tree branches, the grandparent names of "Pap Pap" and "Mamoo" are being passed down, too! Beatrice's granddaughter, Beatrice (named for her, of course) is now known as "Mamoo" to her granddaughter!