The Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival announces that Sharon Cole will lead the parade at the 60th anniversary Maple Syrup Festival on Sunday, April 29th. The parade will begin at 2:30 and will be centered around the theme “Celebrate 60.”.
Sharon was born in Florida to a military family from West Virginia. When her father was discharged, they moved to the oil fields of mid-Michigan and settled on Blanchard Road, west of Shepherd. Sharon’s elementary education took place at the Lincoln Center Country School. The children in this area then (and now) are in the Mt. Pleasant School District, making her a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School.
Cole worked for a few years at the Mt. Pleasant Regional Center but spent 33 years at UPS moving packages. Others remember her as a secretary at Grim Publishing during the last 10 years of her career.
Sharon married Andrew Cole in 1964, eventually settling down on South Isabella Road. Andy worked for the Vestaburg Silo Company and Morbark. He passed away in 2012.
The family has had to manage their trout fishing endeavors with the Maple Syrup Festival, as they usually both happen on the last full weekend in April.
Since 1972, Sharon said has enjoyed volunteering in different areas of the Festival but says that she always found working in the cafeteria to be a fun job.
When asked what her favorite part of the Festival has been Cole said she has always enjoyed the parades. This year it is hoped that Sharon likes riding in the parade and receiving the thanks of the community for all her contributions over the years.
-Corey Micho