Glenna Cole Beierle

Mom to two, Grandma to six and Gigi to twelve more�died peacefully at the Wyatt House on Bainbridge Island on September 7, 2011.Glenna was born into a northwestern New Jersey family with roots dating back to before the Revolutionary War. Her father, Verner Cole, was the tax collector for the small town of Hamburg, where her family lived. Her mother, Alice Cortright Cole, died when Glenna was 16.Glenna attended business school, but chose to wait on a business career, and became engaged to Kenneth Beierle on Christmas Day, 1935. They married the next year, and in 1940 built a home in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, where she lived until after Ken's death in 1977. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, she and Ken opened Beierle's Flower Shop. She was the artistic one; Ken did the growing. They retired from the business after 20-some years, so Glenna could care for her ailing sister, Rilla, who was married to one of Ken's brothers.Three years after Ken's death, Glenna moved to Bainbridge Island to get away from New Jersey winters, and to be closer to her son's family. She was active in Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church and an Arboretum Foundation gardening group. She loved flowers, even when the opportunities were limited to pots on condo decks.Her health finally took her to the Wyatt House, where she lived her final two years. She was loved and received exceptional care from the dedicated staff there, for which her family is extremely grateful.In her final days, she was surrounded by many of her three generations of immediate family in a beautifully intimate goodbye celebration. She leaves her son Thomas (Karen) Beierle, also of Bainbridge, and daughter Claire (Russell) VanAtta of Hartville, Ohio. She also leaves a devoted favorite niece, Rayla Stecker, daughter of her late sister, of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, a God-daughter, Debbi Guidi, of Newton, New Jersey, and many nephews and nieces and their families, all of whom were very dear to her. In a showing of their affection for Glenna, many of them came from all around our country to celebrate her 90th birthday nearly six years ago.All who knew her will remember her as a loving and accepting person, a wonderful cook, a lover of all things that have green leaves, and a grand lady who cherished the visits of her family.A memorial service will be held at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 20. Her remains will be interred next to her late husband's in North Hardyston Cemetery, Hamburg, New Jersey, with graveside services there at 11 a.m. Monday, October 17.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances to Helpline House. Please sign the online guest book for the family.