Verna Oller Dies: Leaves $4.5 Million to Town of Long Beach, WA

by Amy Judd | June 10, 2010 at 02:05 pm

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Verna Oller Left Her Entire Fortune of $4.5 Million to Her Hometown of Long Beach Washington

Verna Oller was known as being really frugal; she never bought anything, even fixing her shoelaces with the zipper of an old coat and she never went to the hairdresser because she could cut her own hair for free.

She worked until she was in her 70s and earned a modest amount filleting fish. No one except her friends Guy and Carolyn Glenn knew she had any real savings and she never spent any money unless she had to, so when she died at the age of 98 everyone was surprised to learn she was an expert at investing money.

"She went to the library and read Barrons," Guy Glenn said. "She read the Wall Street Journal."

At one low point she even made a 50% return on AT&T. She originally had $5 million before the recession as reported by ABC, but she left some strict instructions for her fortune with her friend Guy Glenn.

"She wants a swimming pool to be built, that was her main goal," he said.

Due to Oller's generosity, the town of Long Beach will get their first indoor swimming pool and money will also be divided in to grants for local teachers. Oller always wanted a swimming pool when she was growing up there because swimming in the ocean can often be dangerous in this area.

She never wanted any credit from her generosity.