Cora Van Wingerden, beloved wife of the late Aart Van Wingerden, died on March 1 at age 85 in North Carolina. Many would consider Cora the mother of the modern U.S. greenhouse floriculture industry. Aart and Cora came to the United States from Holland in 1948 with $6 in their pockets and three children. They built greenhouses in New Jersey and other states before establishing a home base for Van Wingerden International in Fletcher, NC.

The couple raised 16 children, 15 of whom are still in the industry today and have become leaders in their own right, building modern greenhouse facilities nationwide, including Metrolina Greenhouses, Green Circle Growers, Mid American Growers and Heartland Growers. She is also survived by 116 grandchildren and, at last count, 60 great-grandchildren, with many more on the way.

“She was a simple, honest, hardworking woman who imparted a lot of character to her kids,” says grandson David van Wingerden of Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, Ohio. “She was the glue that held the family together the last 10 years. All of her kids came every month or every other month to visit and honor their mother. That’s a lot of visits and a lot of miles.”

Memorial contributions may be made to support Double Harvest, a charity founded by the Van Wingerdens, which helps needy children in Haiti by providing food, education and health care, while teaching them to become self-sufficient through agriculture. For more information about how you can contribute to Double Harvest, visit www.doubleharvest.org.