Dozens gathered along Penn Avenue in Sinking Spring Tuesday afternoon in a community send-off for 92-year-old June Wenrich. Known as the “Gram in the Window”, Wenrich has impacted thousands of people over the years by smiling and waving to those who pass by her home.
“She has a rocking chair right inside and sat there all the time. Truck drivers would drive by, she’d wave, school buses, anyone, she’d always wave” said granddaughter Jessica Wagner. “It just seems to be the entire community knew who she was just from the red light. So they all just waved to her and she gave air hugs, waves and smiles.”
Residents who drive Penn Avenue regularly know the house and recently noticed she was missing. Soon after, Wagner began receiving messages from concerned community members about her grandmother. To the relief of the community, Wenrich was fine, but has now decided to live with family, selling the home she has live in for over 60 years.
“There’s people that said they moved out of the area 15 years ago and they still remember her. They all have names for her, Gram in the Window, Aunt Betty, Aunt Milly” said Wagner. “We had someone stop by today say ‘I’ve been in a bad mood going to work, I saw your smile and you made my day’. So for us, it just felt great to hear that, knowing that she’s loved by everybody on top of how much we love her.”
To celebrate her grandmother’s commitment to the community, Wagner organized a final “drive by and wave” event where residents were encouraged to beep, smile and wave. Wenrich sat on her porch for two hours waving, even accepting a few gifts and cards from friends.
“I think for her well-being, honestly, this is what she lived for. 62 years living here, she’s always waved to everybody and then all of a sudden it just ended. There was no closure” said Wagner. “So when we told her that we were going to do this, she cried, we cried, everybody was in tears. So we know that she absolutely loves this, and it’s closure for her, letting everybody know she’s OK, she’s well, and she still loves them.”
