Jeraldine Dianne Purtell

Jeraldine, "Jerry" to all who knew and loved her, was born in Centralia, WA on May 22, 1939 to parents Marie and Ishmael "Tic" Powell. She graduated from Centralia High School in June of 1957 and soon after migrated to CA where she would meet her husband of 43 years, Charles Whitfield Bierdeman Jr. They were married after a three week whirlwind courtship on December 21, 1958. They had four children before moving back to Washington State in 1968, where they settled in the sleepy farming community of Boistfort.

After working a paper route for The Tacoma News Tribune during the 1970s and early 80s, Jerry's love of reading led her to work at a used bookstore in the Sunbirds shopping center in Chehalis called the Quiet Corner Paperback Exchange. With her vast knowledge of authors and book genres, even extending into comics, rare and new, Jerry excelled at her job. She was always there to greet her customers with a smile, though it was her charm and wit that kept them coming back.

After her husband's death in 2001, Jerry had some decisions to make about what to do with her life. She bought the book store, moved it to a vacant space downstairs, and changed the name to the Best Dang Bookstore where she continued to do business for many years. After the devastating flood of 2007, she persevered after losing everything and moved her store once again to a former church building in Centralia. After only a year in business there, she decided it was time to retire.

Jerry was one of the lucky ones, as she found a great love late in her life. She met Wayne Purtell at a casino in Reno in 2007, and they were married there four years later in front of many loved ones on October 15, 2011. Wayne gave her love and companionship through her final days.

Jerry is survived by husband Wayne Purtell of Tacoma, WA, and her four children, sons Douglas Cray Bierdeman and wife Debbie of Centralia, WA, Charles Whitfield Bierdeman III and wife Karen of Pleasanton, CA, daughters Ellen Marie Law and husband Greg of Virginia, and Colleen Virginia Blanchette of Federal Way, WA and her partner Randy. She had nine grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Jerry is survived by brothers Stephen, Michael, Clay and Randy.

Jerry's funeral will be held at Claquato Cemetery outside of Chehalis, Washington with a graveside service beginning at 1:00 PM on Thursday, September 25 followed by a celebration of her life at the family home in Boistfort immediately after. Please do not send flowers. Instead, donations can be made to the Seattle Care Alliance, 825 East Lake Ave, Seattle, WA 98109 in memory of Kathy Ann Purtell

"You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing." - Michael Pritchard. Here's to a woman who should have lived forever with her ability to laugh her way through life, who kept others young doing the same. She will be missed.