Community Corner
U City 'Turtle Lady' Memorialized at Saint Louis Zoo
On the one-year anniversary of her passing, family and friends paid tribute to Lynda Cole, founder of the Saint Louis Midwest Turtle and Tortoise Society.
Close friends and family of Lynda Cole, founder of the Saint Louis Midwest Turtle and Tortoise Society and longtime zoo employee, braved the heat on Sunday at the Saint Louis Zoo to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Lynda’s death.
They came from Washington, MO, Lake Saint Louis, St. Louis city and even Sacramento, CA, to remember her.
The group, which included Rita Washington, Odilia Burke, Cheryl Susheel Bibbs, Peyton Wells, Diane Custer, Denny Custer (not shown in photos) and Rosemary Pulliam, sang and shared memories at Lynda's memorial brick, embedded at the zoo’s south entrance in front of a small display of mementos and flowers laid for the occasion.
A picture, held by Cheryl Susheel Bibbs, Lynda's sister, showed Lynda receiving a commendation from Charles Hoessle, whose statue now stands in front of the zoo's herpetarium where three of Lynda's turtles are on display.
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After the brief ceremony, the group met Glenn Roberts, a keeper at the herpetarium, to view the turtles.
Lynda served the zoo for more than 17 years and was known in St. Louis also as “The Turtle Lady.” She aided, rescued and donated those animals, one of whom was Charlie the Tortoise, who became a St. Louis mascot after his escape from the Petropolis pet store, where Lynda had donated him.
Cole, who was listed by St. Louis Post Dispatch as one of the St. Louisans of note to pass away in 2010, owned a home on Wayne Avenue in University City.