Pearl M. Perkins

Pearl M. Perkins, 97, of Crown Point passed away Friday, December 17, 2021, at home. Pearl is survived by her children: Sherry (Nick) Gasparovic, Bill (Linda) Perkins, Lynda (Dean) Leonakis, John Perkins, Jim (Ruth) Perkins, Nicholas Perkins, and daughter-in-law, SusAnne Perkins; twin sister Helen (Conrad) Pollok; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth in September 1990, son Charlie in April 2019, and parents Thomas and Mary Kowalik. Future details will be provided at a later date about a mass of Christian burial in April of 2022 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Winfield, IN. On arrival to Northwest, Indiana, this Texas gal proclaimed, "It was the first time I'd ever seen houses so close together." Though she often longed for her home and family in the south, it was in Hammond, where this Texas born and raised, Polish-proud woman settled with her husband's family to raise her 7 children, as well as contribute to her church and the lives of numerous neighbors in need of childcare. Whether her hands wielded a pen to write poetry, a hammer to convert a basement into a recreational area, a saw to cut down a backyard tree, a knock on the door of a neighbor to simply sit down and visit, a blessing before all meals, the needle of her sewing machine to create her next craft or item of clothing or the splash of Chanel # 5 behind her ears... her hands were an extension of her creativity, grand kindness and willingness to help. These hands blessed first what she had and gave to others second. These hands, forged while growing up in Falls City, Texas, have held many, helped countless others and prayed every single day of her life. Her life was based on her belief in God from a very young age and lessons taken from a humble home and her caring 7 siblings. These early learnings enabled her to live a life of faith, elegance, kindness, care, charity and hope for a better tomorrow for her children. Slow to judge, quick to encourage and an eagerness to have fun, she will be missed by many, but her lessons, both spoken and silent, (and her amazing pineapple dip) live through three generations. "Always stay in touch with your family, through good and bad, always."--Pearl Perkins (Pelogia Kowalik) If you wish to make a donation on behalf of Pearl Perkins, please consider: Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria, PO Box 25 Panna Maria, TX. 78144 Franciscan Hospice 101 West 61st Ave. Hobart, IN. 46342 Attention: Leslie Burns Funeral Home, Crown Point entrusted with arrangements. www.burnsfuneral.com

Pearl M. Perkins

February 23, 1924 - December 17, 2021