Pearl A. Walch, nee Barkow, age 85, quietly passed away on Christmas Day surrounded by her family.
She was born on December 13, 1925, in Milwaukee, to William August and Pearl Ellen (nee Jones) Barkow. As a child, she grew up on 107th Street, a tom-boy playing baseball and other sports with her brother Bucky and his friends. She met her husband Bob roller skating and could they skate. Waltzing was one of their specialties. They often took their children to the Artistic Roller Rink in West Bend and demonstrated their skating expertise.
Their first home was an old cottage in Mequon on the Milwaukee River. She and Bob remodeled it and made it a home to their first four children, Richard, Robert, Ellen and Mary. Pearl was staunch through the floods. Wearing hip boots and pulling the children through the flood waters to catch the school bus. She and the neighborhood ladies would often coffee klatch. Later in life, Pearl and Bob added another child, Tracy, to their brood. Tracy became Pearl's shopping and lunching out companion. Pearl and Bob loved tent camping with their children in the north woods. As they aged they changed to cabins. They loved it so much they bought a resort and ran Birch Lake Resort and Campground for many years. After they sold the resort, they purchased a house on the other side of the lake and lived a good life in retirement enjoying the wildlife and the community.
Pearl's husband Bob passed away in March of 1997. Pearl moved to West Bend to be closer to her family and later to a senior living apartment in Germantown. She met and made many friends there and enjoyed lunching out and shopping. She was well known for her banana bread and coffee cake as well as her kindness and generosity.
In July of 2010, Pearl began showing signs of confusion and disorientation. Pearl moved to her daughter Mary's home where Mary and her sister Tracy took over care of her. A visit to the physician and neurologist confirmed there was a form of dementia and palsy however they were unable to make a clear diagnosis and no treatment was available. Pearl was a kind soul with a warm heart. She will be missed by her children, Richard Walch of Pine Bush, NY, Robert (Joe Frazier) Woodman of Milwaukee, Ellen (David) Macdonald of Minnetrista, MN, Mary Pierson of Adell and Tracy Gaulke of Adell; 11 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Betty Barkow and Shirley Pankratz; other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert; and two brothers, William and Frank Barkow.
A memorial service in remembrance of Pearl will be held on Tuesday, December 28th at the Myrhum-Patten Funeral Home at 6:30 pm with Deacon Margaret Schoewe officiating. Visitation will be at the Funeral Home on Tuesday from 4:00 pm until the time of service. Private interment will be in Pine Lawn Memorial Park, Milwaukee.
Pearl's family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Aurora Visiting Nurse Association of Wisconsin for their care and support of Pearl and her family.