Cole Clemens, 32, passed away Feb. 11 from injuries suffered in a snowmobile accident near La Grande.

Cole was born Oct. 19, 1984, in Bend to Tom and Candis Clemens. He lived most of his life growing up in Bend, but La Grande was his true home where he resided the past nine years.

Cole graduated from Summit High School in Bend in 2003, and earned his bachelor of science degree in 2010 and masters of arts in education in 2011 from Eastern Oregon University (EOU) in La Grande. He also attended Calvary Chapel Bible College in Maui.

He gave his life to the Lord in middle school during a youth group meeting at Christian Life Center in Bend. From that moment on, that was his mission in life…to bring salvation to everyone he touched. He started the Young Life Chapter in La Grande and Imbler in 2008, which was his true passion. He had a heart for kids and really felt called to work with them. He spearheaded another Young Life Chapter in 2014 with kids from Union and Cove. That group in conjunction with the La Grande and Imbler Chapter presently make up Union County Young Life.

Cole was given another gift of being an exceptional athlete in all sports. But to him, it was more important his light shine on others, so they would see it and want what he had, and ultimately come to know the Lord. That was his heart, a heart for God, a heart he wanted everyone to have.

In 2013, Cole and his brother, Jeff, co-founded an outdoors sporting goods business together in La Grande, and the Lord blessed them beyond every expectation.

Cole married Amy Garner of Prineville April 5, 2014. Two strong believers with God as their foundation, their marriage was a solid one. She was his rock and his strongest supporter.

Cole is survived by his wife, Amy Clemens of La Grande; brother, Jeff Clemens of La Grande; mother, Candis Clemens of Bend; father, Tom Clemens of Seeley Lake, Mont.; grandmother, LaDonna Hehn of Prineville; grandmother, Lois Clemens of Burns; father- and mother-in-law, Tom and Gaynell Garner of Prineville; and multiple aunts, uncles, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Cole always had a bounce in his step and a big smile on his face. That’s just how he was. Without a doubt, he touched more lives in his short time here on earth than most of us will touch in a lifetime. The world truly lost a good and faithful servant. A favorite verse of Cole’s was 2 Timothy 4:7 “I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith.” Cole definitely lived that out.

A service was held Feb. 18 at the Mackenzie Theatre in Loso Hall on the EOU campus in La Grande, followed by a reception at Faith Center Church in La Grande.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Union County Young Life Cole Clemens Memorial Fund at: http://giving.younglife.org/colecmemorial

Online condolences may be made to www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com