Port Townsend, Washington

July 9, 1929 - Oct. 17, 2015

Another part of Port Townsend history quietly passed with the death of Pearl Lillian (Lammers) Fink Oct. 17, 2015. Although the Lammers family has lived in Port Townsend for about one hundred twenty years, Pearl's family was not prominent; it had no influence on the course of Port Townsend history. Her father, Walter, was a laborer; he helped build the mill in 1927 and worked there 42 years. Her mother, Ruby (West) Lammers was a housewife and with five children (Harold, Clara, Pearl, Marguerite, and Ed). The family lived frugally. Pearl spoke of one present for each child at Christmas.

Pearl was born at home July 9, 1929 on Blaine St. near her grandparents. She lived in Port Townsend her entire life except for a year in Chicago while her husband, Lyle Fink, completed a course as an electrician. She was seventeen when they married and they had no children.

She always struggled in school and most likely had dyslexia, leaving school at fifteen. She worked for over thirty years as a waitress at Baker's, as a telephone operator and Don's Pharmacy, starting at eighty seven cents an hour.

An engaging storyteller, Pearl told of her mother's flagrant driving infractions: no license, U turns in the middle of Water St., secret trips with the children to see the local prostitutes; of her brother bringing home a "dead" deer he had shot, but it only had been grazed. It recovered consciousness, then crashed around the porch until her father killed it. She related stories of once beating up Peggy Aldrich after school and of her brief job at the mill trying to keep up with the conveyer belt that bundled and tied cardboard, she then transferred to another department.

Pearl was emblematic of the Depression and WWII generation who worked hard, purchased modest homes, camped, boated, motorcycled with many local Port Townsend friends, and fished. She and Lyle belonged to the local VFW, faithfully selling poppies for years in front of the Stock Market (later QFC) store. One year she and Lyle rode in the dignitaries' car in the Rhody Parade.

Her personal visions were smaller than her capabilities. Her legacy lies with who she was as a person: feisty, smart, warm, delightedly foul-mouthed at times; a caring aunt, a wonderful multi faceted daughter of Port Townsend.

The Lammers name continues with her nieces and nephews, Harold's children Larry, Lynda, and Ken; plus their mother Myrtle (Gruver) Lammers; sister-in-law and childhood friend Danny and Ruby (children of Ed); and the last addition to her family a great-great-nephew, Leland Neil Lammers born Jan. 1, 1914. Pearl was very proud of her family.