Lola Mae "Dolly" Coleman

Dolly Coleman was born on February 7, 1924 in Menomonie, WI and died April 6, 2014 in Bellingham, WA. Dolly was the 9th of 12 children born to Walter Evan Hummer and Ruey Maude (Cravens) Hummer. Ten of the children survived to adulthood, all having children of their own. Her parents owned and operated a dairy farm where the boys helped Dad on the farm and the girls helped Mom in the house. In 1937, in the depths of the Depression, her parents and seven of the younger children left the cold of Wisconsin and moved to Southern California where Dolly lived until moving to Bellingham in 1970. She married Carl Wm. “Bill” Coleman in 1942 in Long Beach, CA where her three children were born and raised. Dolly was a loving wife, beloved mother and grandmother, wonderful homemaker and pie baker extraordinaire. She was also a hardworking, no-nonsense, business minded woman. As a young couple raising their family she and Bill would set five year goals, working very hard to reach them, usually with remarkable success. After moving to Bellingham she had a successful career selling real estate and worked in that field until Bill retired from ARCO in 1979. Dolly and Bill traveled extensively throughout their lives, exploring Mexico many times by car, Europe and Asia. A cruise on a small Greek ship for three bouncy weeks in the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting numerous islands as well as Turkey was a travel highlight. California remained very much a favorite destination. It was home away from home, always. They acquired a little Palm Desert house (the Casa) where Bill passed away in 2003. Dolly is survived by her daughter Sharon Kesslau, her son Bill Coleman, grandsons, Tony Kesslau (Monica Trott), Greg Kesslau (Kim Sheller) and Andrew Rogers, one brother, Calvin Hummer, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, family members and friends. Dolly’s youngest child, Lucinda Rogers, preceded her in death by a few short days. She was also preceded in death by her husband Bill, her parents and all other siblings. Her last few years have been blessed by lovely and loving care givers, Elaine, Gini and Leah. Dolly will be interred at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA next to her husband Bill and her parents. A private, family memorial will be planned at a later date in California.