Warren A. Cole: A Brief Biography (Part 2)
by Mike Raymond • January 2007 • 8 Comments •
I suppose I really can’t say that Warren A. Cole’s (Boston 1912) grave site was ever lost. After all, it has been in the same picturesque spot since he was buried there in 1969.
A Cautionary Note
All of us involved in the discovery of Cole’s burial site are concerned about preserving it in all of its natural beauty.
Details about the cemetery’s exact location have been purposefully left out of this article to preserve its privacy and solitude.
The cemetery is a family plot situated in a residential area. It is simply not a suitable place for large groups of visitors.
I think that Cole should be memorialized in his hometown of Swansea, Massachusetts.
An historic marker, identifying Warren A. Cole of Swansea, Massachusetts, as our founder, could be easily attained and erected near the Mt. Hope Cemetery.
There is an area near the Swansea Public Library, not too far from where Cole lived as a child, which would be a perfect site for such an historic marker.
The site became lost in the sense that no one at our international headquarters could find a record of its location. This mystery, combined with a desire to make sure that Cole was properly memorialized as the founder of our Fraternity, provided the motivation to find his final resting place.
In late summer of 2003, my wife and I visited Swansea, Massachusetts, in the hope of finding Cole’s burial site. We were both curious to see what it looked like and what inscriptions we might find regarding Lambda Chi Alpha.
Our initial search for his grave resulted in finding the Cole family plot in the Mt. Hope Public Cemetery near the Swansea Public Library. The Cole family monument was large and impressive with many smaller head stones in its vicinity. The general area around the Cole monument was bare and sun baked. We found many members of the Cole family buried in the plot, but not Warren A. Cole.
As fate would have it, all of the public offices were closed the Friday of our visit because of a state budget crisis. Not able to find anyone who could help us identify his burial site, we took a few photographs for a record of our visit and returned home. The mystery remained unsolved.
Brothers Assist in Search
It wasn’t until February 2005 that I began my search once again. I decided to request help in my quest on an online Lambda Chi Alpha forum. My initial request for assistance generated a mixed bag of responses that ranged from attempts at humor to thoughtful suggestions about solving the mystery.
The group discussed many topics like genealogy research techniques, the possibility of cremation, last known residences, contacting historical societies and local churches, and reviewing documents and magazines in our Fraternity’s archives.
After a year of intermittent discussions and research, I was thrilled to report that I had found references to Cole’s funeral and burial service. According to an old issue of the Cross & Crescent magazine, Cole was buried in 1969 in a place called Horton Land, located just a few miles from Swansea, Massachusetts.
Horton Land was identified as the birthplace of his mother and as her ancestral property. Unfortunately, this information was not detailed enough to precisely locate his burial site. However, this information did provide some important guidance for a second expedition to Swansea, Massachusetts; or, as someone else would have it, a road trip!
Second Expedition to Swansea
John Gezelius (California 1978) volunteered to fly from California to Massachusetts to locate and photograph Warren A. Cole’s grave site. Gezelius, an experienced elder law attorney, is very familiar with cemetery practices, family lineage, land law, and burial customs. Various Brothers, including Jono Hren (Florida Tech 1975), offered support and encouragement within the online forum.
The major breakthrough resulted from contacts made by Tom Earp (Pittsburg State 1967) with Karen Riendeau Remine, the secretary of Christ Episcopal Church in Swansea, Massachusetts. Remine was able to pinpoint the exact plot number and location of Cole’s grave.
Gezelius used this information, and knowledge he gained from other sources, to identify the official name of the cemetery. Guided by this additional research information, he began his search on June 11, 2006.
On June 13, 2006, Gezelius posted this short note: “Mission Complete. Details to Follow.”
This note was followed by a series of color photographs that visually documented the rustic dirt road to the cemetery, the cemetery gate and low wall so typical of the New England countryside, the various family headstones, and most importantly, the headstone of our founder.
Gezelius would later report that Cole’s burial spot was beneath the third marker he examined.
Mysteries Within a Mystery
On the surface, it appeared that the mystery of the lost grave site was solved. However, a close look at the photographs reveals even more mysteries that are begging to be answered.
Cole’s headstone is marked on both sides with important information about his life and esoteric beliefs. He is clearly identified as the “Founder of the LCA, Nov. 2, 1909″ on the grave side of the stone.
The reverse side of the headstone is simply remarkable in its depiction of chiseled symbols identifying his various fraternal affiliations. Though difficult to see in the photograph, there is a monogram of the letters Lambda, Chi, and Alpha; the Compass and Square of Freemasonry; the Cross and Crescent of our fraternity; and two other symbols. The last two symbols are probably associated with the Patrons of Husbandry (Grange) and the Knights of Pythias.
The reverse side of the headstone also has his name chiseled in Old English style letters superimposed on a carved book, representing his life, with his date of birth and date of death on its spine.
Of special note is the headstone of his first wife, Lottie Mae Hathaway Cole, which is crowned with a monogram so familiar to us: Zeta Alpha Chi.
This use of ZAX is not explainable within the normal bounds of our fraternal usage of the monogram. At least one other headstone in the cemetery displays an unorthodox usage of our symbols.
As with many mysteries in life, this one seems layered with additional mysteries. Solve one mystery and new mysteries arise to take its place.
Some examples to ponder: Why was Cole buried at his mother’s family cemetery and not the Cole plot at Mt. Hope Cemetery? Why was he buried near his first wife and not his second wife? Who was responsible for the design of Warren A. Cole’s headstone? Why were symbols, restricted to members of our Fraternity, so freely used on the headstones of Cole’s female relatives?
These are all great questions for which I have no answer at this time.
Matthew Stoessner, Phi Mu 240 Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 12:02 amInteresting article… I have enjoyed and been impressed with the rich content on these monthly C&C issues. Long gone are the days when I would pick up a newly delivered C&C magazine and flip past the boring “old news” to see if my chapter was mentioned. Here’s a website that has some grave symbolism, it’s hard to see what you have in the photo. http://www.graveaddiction.com/symbol.html
MDS, Phi Mu 240
Mike Raymond Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 12:37 amBrother Stoessner,
Thank you for your comments. Click on the photograph of the reverse side of the tombstone for some more information.
Yours in ZAX,
Mike Raymond
Zeta Upsilon 384
Tom Earp Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 2:09 pmBrother Raymond, this is a usual up to your high standards.
While I was having problems with my server, with the help of Brother Jason Pierce, I can now fianlly post a reply. I still get chills from the finding of Brother Coles resting place. I also envy Brother John Gezeilus trip and finding the actual plot. It all started with a question and with a lot of work spent by four Brothers from across the country, the quest was finished. While one question was answered, you pose so many more that may not be findable. I feel that this is great time for all Lambda Chi Alpha Brotheren through out our time line and will be forever now available for our history.
Yours in ZAX,
Tom Earp
LX Z # 1
Pittsburg State University, Kansas.
Adam Schnepp Says:
January 7th, 2007 at 9:18 pmNow that we have found his gravesite, perhaps it is time to honor Cole with a proper memorial. Many of our peer fraternities’ founders are honored in such a way. (See this picture of the grave of one of the founders of Sigma Chi http://www.dcsigmachi.org/images/uploads/Runkle_White_Rose_122803b.jpg)
And all this discussion of Cole’s grave brings up another question…Where is Jack Mason buried?
Tom Earp Says:
January 13th, 2007 at 3:16 pmThat is an excellent question. I think Mason was cremated, but his remains are unknown as far as is known at this time.
The Honoring of our Founders is another matter.
Where do we start? 1909, the advent of the first or second new Zeta or the inclusion of TKN in 1939. Were We remade then or just moved along.
Your point is very well taken.
But as We are actually one of the Newest Fraternities as We know them is an anomoly. We are somewhat different than some of the Old Fraternities of the Union, Miami Triads, and others such as Tau Kappa Epsilon,Sigma Nu and Theta Chi.
Lambda Chi Alpha while reported to have been Founded in 1909 had some serious start ups before expansion that was a somewhat loose confederation it seems.
Having started a Local, I do have a very close affection for Warren A. Cole but at a later date. LOL.
In ZAX,
Tom Earp
LX Z 1.
Mike Raymond Says:
January 13th, 2007 at 10:08 pmBrothers,
Last summer, my wife and I went on another expedition to find the burial site of Jack Mason. We found it! He is buried in Philidelphia. The burial site is beautiful and well protected. I believe that he was cremated because there are numerous other names on the tombstone.
The most important discovery was the fact that there is no mention of his affiliation with our fraternity on the headstone. I think that we need to do something about that situation.
I have proposed that Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity create a Museum and Monuments Society to raise money to honor important individuals involved in the creation and improvements to the core ritual and teachings our fraternity and to organize a museum to preserve of rich heritage of our fraternity.
I will share what we found this past summer at some point in the future through either the C&C magazine or another on-line forum.
Thanks for the interest and response to my article. It really motivates me to dig more into our wonderful history
Yours in ZAX,
Mike Raymond, Zu-384
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
Blake E. Banfield Says:
January 16th, 2007 at 12:08 amBrother Raymond;
I have read through a lot of my chapters personal records and I have come a cross many interesting things. However, I think that the story of Coles grave and the symbols that rest upon it, as well as the symbols that rest upon his first wifes grave would come across as the weirdest to me, simply because I dont understand why some are there. I hope that eventually you will be able to figure out the answers to those questions.
P.S. Like Brother Earp said, I also heard that Brother Mason was cremated
IN ZAX
your younger brother
Blake E. Banfield
TAU ZETA 1692
Washington State
John Gezelius Says:
February 1st, 2007 at 4:19 pmI, too, was struck by the odd symbols. I also found it interesting that the only grave in the cemetery to have flowers on it, albeit artificial, was Warren’s! I have a full set of photos (~50) that set forth the whole setting as well as the graves of his family members.
It really is a nice place to visit. The day I went by was somewhat cloudy but the clouds cleared off right when I reached the cemetery and started walking up the path. The lighting was as close as you can get to perfect in an outdoor setting.
I cannot explain the use of our symbols on the other markers nor can I think of a reason to bury him by wife #1 - other than insrtead of being buried next to #1 he actually chose to be buried next to his mother who lies alongside (I believe).
The trip really was alot of fun. I had absolutely no clue what I waould find, if anything, when I arrived at the cemetery. It turned out to be a gorgeous day and, as stated in the article, Warren’s resting place was the third that I looked at.