Good Sam’s Pearl

Oliver Francies
oliver@page1publications.com

Pearl Werner will be celebrating her 100th birthday soon. A resident of Good Samaritan over in East Grand Forks for the past few years Pearl has stayed active through something she used to not fully like when she was younger, gardening. When she was younger, Pearl’s mom had a big garden in her hometown growing up, Erskine Minnesota, and all of Pearl’s siblings had to participate in it.

This necessary outlet became a way for Pearl to stay connected to the outdoors. Over time she began canning many of the fruits and vegetables from the garden to ensure garden fresh food was always on hand. That slowly acquired passion for gardening has stayed with Pearl throughout the majority of her life.

Over her life, Pearl has had many different jobs in different fields, but one common thing always has remained. She loves the area of Northwest Minnesota and her home for the past four years, Good Samaritan right here in East Grand Forks.

Pearl came to Good Samaritan after a fall. Over time, combined with proper medical care she has used the garden as a way to stay in shape and stay connected with the outdoors. It is nestled in a serene spot of the campus with a nice view of the surrounding area. Pearl has been running the garden long enough that she has a sign that read “Pearl’s Garden,” which signifies her consistent dedication to what has become a lifelong craft and love.

Celebrations for Pearl’s 100th birthday are set to take place next weekend at Our Savior Lutheran Church. She will be joined by her family to celebrate this wonderful milestone. Everyday, East Grand Forks and Good Samaritan are both lucky to remember, Pearl Werner’s presence in this community is another reason why so many people love East Grand Forks.

Contributions like Pearl’s coupled with her nice outlook on the garden and life are truly a consistent day to day reminder of why, no matter where one travels in East Grand Forks, that this really is, one community.