Pearl Buffington

PEARL BUFFINGTON was born to Fred and Selma (Weinkauf) Wittfoth on January 5, 1919 in Holland, Minnesota where she was raised and completed her education. On April 18, 1936, she was united in marriage to Louis “Bud” Buffington in Holland. Following their marriage, they lived on the Buffington farm near Holland. In March, 1942, they move to Pipestone, Minnesota. In 1956, when her children were all in school, Pearl began working at Pan-O-Gold Bakery in Pipestone. After she worked there for 13 years, the bakery closed and she became employed as the pie baker at Lange’s Caf in Pipestone. When her son, Dave, purchased Gannon’s Restaurant in Pipestone, she went to work for him. Her husband preceded her in death on March 15, 1985. After his death, Pearl continued to live in Pipestone. She worked at Gannon’s until her retirement in 1987. In the spring of 2009, Pearl became a resident of the Ashton Care Center in Pipestone. When Ashton closed in 2010, she became a resident of the Good Samaritan Village in Pipestone where she died on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at the age of 92 years, five months and nine days.

Pearl was a charter member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Pipestone. She enjoyed sewing and made all of her children’s clothes as they were growing up. She also enjoyed playing cards, especially 500. Baking was her specialty, and she was known for her great-tasting cookies and pies.

She is lovingly remembered by her three children, Sandra and her husband the Rev. Curtis Foreman of Grimes, Iowa, David and his wife Beverly Buffington of Dent, Minnesota, and James and his wife Karen Buffington of Wahpeton, North Dakota; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two brothers, Albert and Wilbert Wittfoth; and two sisters, Myrtle Appeldorn and Leona Ring.

Memorials are preferred to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church.