Woodward, Okla. — Pearl Louisa Amelia (Dieringer) White was born February 11, 1928, to Frank and Louisa (Billeck) Dieringer in Freyburg, Texas. She was the 11th child out of 14 children. Pearl was welcomed into her Lord’s arms on Sunday, January 13, 2013. She was 84 years, and 11 months old.

Pearl attended Abbott’s Grove School, to which she walked 3 miles to and from each day. While growing up, Pearl worked alongside her family by helping neighbors and friends with farm work. In the fall of 1946, Pearl left Freyburg and went to San Antonio, Texas, to work for a Jewish family caring for their 7 year old daughter. It was in San Antonio that Pearl met the love of her life. She and Raymond were married in San Antonio on May 12, 1947. In September of 1947, Raymond was discharged from the Military Police, and he and Pearl moved to Vici, Oklahoma. At first they stayed with Raymond’s parents while remodeling a house. After moving into their home, they shared the house with a man and his daughter. They lived in two rooms of the house and shared the bath. It was here that their first two children, Leslie and Vera, were born. Later they purchased a two story house and moved it to Vici. They lived in this home for 30 years. In this home their next two children, Vayda and Larry, were born.

Raymond started White’s Salvage to support his family. Pearl worked alongside Raymond in this business. In the summer of 1955 Raymond and Pearl and their young family went to Naylor, Missouri, to help two young preachers preach the Gospel and establish a church. Raymond purchased another salvage yard while there to support the White family and the families of the preachers. Many people were baptized and a Church of the Firstborn was built that summer. The Whites then returned to Vici. In 1958 Raymond and Pearl bought the Sutton Hotel which they managed for several years. During this time they also bought the Scottish Inn and turned it into a nursing home where around a dozen patients were cared for. They managed the nursing home until the Town of Vici built the Vici Nursing Home. In 1980, they retired and turned the salvage over to their son Larry.

Pearl was a very dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She worked diligently alongside Raymond for 65 years of marriage. When he became ill, she tenderly and lovingly cared for him, nursing him back to better health. Her devotion was abundant and awe-inspiring. Her main joy came from being with her family. Nothing made her happier than having all her children and grandchildren in her home. Pearl or “Pearlie” as she was known by her Texas family also loved attending family reunions, especially going to Schulenberg to reunite with her brothers and sisters and other family where she enjoyed her German heritage of polka dancing and waltzing.

One of the pleasures of Pearl’s life was traveling. While the children were young, Raymond and Pearl would take off each summer for 3 weeks traveling and camping in 46 of the 48 states (at that time). In later years Pearl and Raymond traveled to Europe, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, San Juan, Hawaii, and Alaska. They also bought a motor home and traveled lots of miles, going to camp meetings and many other places along the way.

Pearl was a wonderful cook, an avid gardener, and an accomplished seamstress. Pearl was known for her delicious noodles, pies, kolaches, and carrot cakes. Every grandchild and great-grandchild expected her homemade chicken and noodles and her special dill pickles when they came to visit and were never disappointed. Pearl belonged to the Vici Home Demonstration Club and was named Dewey County Homemaker of the Year in 1965. She always planted large gardens which produced abundantly. She canned vegetables and fruit for her family even after they were grown with families of their own. Pearl sewed for her family, making school clothes for her children and clothing for herself and Raymond. She made wedding dresses for Vera and Vayda and dresses for all the wedding attendants. In the summer of 1968, Pearl worked at Trego’s Western Wear and learned to make western suits and leather coats. She also loved to quilt. She made many quilts for her children and also made a quilt for all 10 of her grandchildren, and for all 24 of her great-grandchildren.

Pearl had many interests. She loved checking the cattle and caring for them. Each cow had a name and she always knew what day each cow would calve. Pearl also loved watching football, basketball, and baseball. She loved her teams whether it was the Vici Indians, the Dallas Cowboys, OU, OSU, or the Oklahoma Thunder. Pearl was very supportive of her church and her community. She was baptized into the Church of the Firstborn in 1950. She was a woman of faith, and she helped her church people by being a midwife, cooking for those who were sick or in sorrow, and sitting with those who were ill. Pearl was very supportive of the youth in her community and was very active in PTA while her children were at home. She continued to support the youth for the rest of her life and loved to attend their many activities, especially sports.

Pearl is survived by her husband Raymond, of the home; her four children and their spouses; Dr. Leslie and Jeri White of Cushing, OK, Vera and Steve Burton of Newcastle, OK; Vayda and Joe Brown of Arapaho, OK; and Larry and Angela White of Vici, OK; her 10 grandchildren, Nikki Nichols, Bret White, Brad White, Shelley and Ryan Overholt, Stacie and Brent Bauman, Stefanie and Jeff Douglas, Sam and Olivia Brown, Laci and Jason Pool, Jason and Cinnamon White, and Courtney and Rusty Menefee; 24 great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Hilda Bednarz; 2 brothers, Elroy Dieringer, and Clarence Dieringer; sister-in-laws, Mary Dieringer, Dorothy Dieringer, Nelda Tebow, Wanda White; brothers-in-law, Clarence Guentert, and Sherrill White; many nieces, nephews, other family and a host of friends.

Funeral services were held on Thursday January 17, 2013 at the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn Vici, Oklahoma with interment following in Sunnyside Cemetery, Vici, Oklahoma. Condolences may be made to the family and Memorial Tribute viewed at shawfuneralhome.net