By NICHOLAS HANDY
Nearly 1,000 people flooded the Francestown Meetinghouse and nearby streets on Sunday to honor a fallen friend and family member.
Services for William “Cole” Wohle were held through much of the afternoon, offering all in attendance one final goodbye.
“I thought there would be a lot of people here, but I never imagined this,” said Garrett Hall, a friend of Wohle’s. “He was a great guy and he was always in a great mood. Even if he was having a bad day, he was outgoing and cheerful.”
Wohle, 18, of Francestown, died on July 30 of apparent heart failure while competing at a rodeo at Pond Hill Ranch in Poultney, Vermont.
Visiting hours were held from 1 to 4 p.m., where friends and family gathered to share stories about Wohle.
During the 4 p.m. service, attendance was so great that a number of the guests spilled out of the Meetinghouse, onto the lawn and sidewalk. Many in attendance were firefighters from Francestown and other surrounding towns.
After friends and family exited the Meetinghouse, Wohle’s coffin was loaded into a Francestown fire truck, which drove from the Meetinghouse to Cemetery #3. Many followed on foot.
“No matter what the relationship, we are all here for Cole,” said a woman at the service. “He was a great kid.”
Wohle had been an active member of the Francestown Fire Department Explorers, a fire training program for teens, and had recently acquired his Fire Fighter I certification. He had been working toward his EMT certification and was preparing to join the department as a full member.
He graduated from ConVal this past spring.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 234.