After his birth in
Dallas, Cole lived with his mother in Texas until the age of four, when he became ill with a severe case of
scarlet fever. After being told that he would not survive without sea air and sun, his mother Florence moved to
Los Angeles,
California, with young Edwin. Cole was educated at
Belmont High School in
Downtown Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Edwin played an active role in the
Angelus Temple of
Aimee Semple McPherson, often participating in the Temple's illustrated sermons. He played a trumpet with street corner witnessing teams on Los Angeles's
skid row. He enlisted in the
United States Coast Guard during
World War II, where he met his wife, fellow Coast Guard member Nancy Corbett. Later Cole began street witnessing again, and within two years accepted the pastorate of a church in northern
California. ==Religious career==