Faye Bernice Cole

Jul. 12, 1939 - Sep. 18, 2025

Date of Service: Oct. 17, 2025

HEYBURN – Faye Bernice Cole, an 86-year-old resident of Heyburn, passed away Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.

Faye was born on July 12, 1939, to August and Olive McClintock, in Royal, Nebraska. They moved to nearby Oakdale a few years later where Faye’s sister, Lillian, was born and where Faye had many fond memories of growing up down the road from aunts, uncles, and cousins. When she was 14, the family moved once more, to Heyburn, Idaho, where she attended Minico High School. After graduating in 1957, Faye had hoped to join the Army but, needing her father’s permission to enlist at the time, she instead went to work at the potato processing plant in Burley.

She made several friends during her time at the plant and often joined them after shifts to let off steam and dance at the nearby Red & White Café. It was on one of those nights that Bill Cole asked her for a dance. Three weeks later, he asked her on a date and Faye said yes. They would go on to marry on June 20, 1959.

The newlyweds enjoyed four years together before deciding something was missing. They welcomed their first daughter, Connie Lynn, in 1963. Her sister, Janet Kay, joined the family. The following year and Bill set to work building a home for his girls in Heyburn. They moved into their new house in 1965, and Stacey Bernice arrived to complete the family in 1970. Faye and Bill divorced in 1972.

In her early years as a single mother, Faye worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Some holidays when funds were tight, she repurposed tumble weeds or sage brush into Christmas trees and wrapped hand made gifts beneath. Though she hated to remember the years she couldn’t spoil her girls on Christmas, it was through those memories that Faye taught her kids to value time and love over materialistic things.

After working as a substitute cook for a year, Faye was offered a full-time position at Heyburn Elementary in 1974, where she worked her way up to manager. She loved interacting with the kids who passed through her cafeteria over the years and held on to her lunch lady title until her youngest grandkid finished at Heyburn.

In retirement, Faye dedicated her time and energy to her eight grandchildren, serving as Mayor of “Smiley Town” (the imaginary village they created in her backyard) and becoming a regular at Minico games, orchestra and choir concerts, and FFA events. Whenever possible, she traded her red and gold for the purple and gold of Campbell County High School, or the blue and silver of Thunder Basin High School in Gillette, Wyoming, where three of her grandkids played basketball and performed in musicals with the choir.

When she wasn’t hosting sleepovers for her grandkids, or attending their extracurricular events, Faye enjoyed playing cards at the senior center and taking long drives with her dear friend of many years, Lavern Ellis. Together, they covered thousands of miles exploring Idaho and its neighboring states in Lavern’s minivan. Many of these journeys concluded with dinner at Wayside Café. On rare occasions, they took a surprise turn when the two women wandered too far off the beaten path and had to be rescued by AAA. Faye enjoyed spontaneous adventures, traveling all over the U.S. and beyond, to Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and France. Most recently, she visited the beautiful beaches of Hawaii to watch her grandson marry the love of his life. While she was always down for a last-minute trip, she refused to leave the house on nights when Boise State football was on. She faithfully paid for cable TV just to watch her Broncos play.

Faye had a beautiful spirit, quick wit, and a contagious laugh that warmed any room. She enjoyed driving red cars (maybe a little too fast), indulging on caviar at Christmastime, and listening to Conway Twitty. For Faye, the only thing more important than family was her faith in God and she strove each day to be humble, grateful, and kind. She believed in the power of forgiveness and never held a grudge. And while she’d mastered the ability to admonish with a look, she was quick to remind you that her love was unconditional. Although Bill and Faye divorced in 1972, they remained lifelong friends and Bill’s second wife, Darlene, and her children always had an invitation to holidays in her home.

Faye passed away surrounded by her family on September 18, 2025. She will be forever missed by those lucky enough to love and be loved by her, and she will continue to be a part of all that we do through the values she instilled in each of us.

Faye was preceded in death by her parents, August and Olive. She is survived by her sister, Lynn (Richard) Hopkins; and her daughters, Connie (Jess) Anderson, Janet Sunderland, and Stacey (Bryan) Williams. She was the beloved grandmother of Cameron (Kelsey), Cody (Dani), and Rose Anderson; Brandon (Dolly), Andrew, and Rebecca Sunderland; and James (Abby) and Jessica Williams. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Everly and Charlee Sunderland, with two more on the way.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 17, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, where family and friends will be received at 10 a.m. prior to the service. Urn placement will follow at Rupert Cemetery.