Cheery Manti lady enjoys

hobbies and joking with visitors

 

By Emily Staley

Staff writer

Mar. 8, 2018

 

MANTI—Pearl Ahlstrom of Manti turned age 93 on February 26, 1925 and has begun her 94th year of life.

Over the years, Pearl has kept busy with her many hobbies and visitors, and she does it all with a smile.

Although she lived through the Great Depression, everyone was poor during those years, so she didn’t realize they were poor at the time.

One thing Pearl enjoyed growing up was playing marbles with the boys. She said that one time she found a “steely” ball and bothered the boys till they let her play.

“Once they let me in, I just took ’em to the cleaners,” said Pearl with mischief in her eye. “I was quite the tomboy.”

Up until 13 years ago, Pearl taught kids how to play marbles.

In addition, Pearl has been a jokester her whole life.

When she was little, she had a dime and decided to go to the dime store. She bought some red nail polish and painted her dad’s toenails while he was asleep. Although five girls were in the house, her dad knew exactly who did it.
Pearl has a sense of humor that could put a smile on anyone’s face.

All her friends know her as Granny Pearl, and she is known for cracking jokes. She could tell joke after joke and has recently developed a talent of writing humorous poems.

Pearl is also a talented seamstress who started sewing when she was 11 years old.

“I’ve done it for so long I can do it without even looking at it!” Pearl said. “I’ve sewed everything I’ve got on.”

Pearl has sewed a wide variety of things: “I can’t tell you how many bride’s dresses I’ve made.”

She has sewed for missionaries, and when she worked at the Manti Temple, she sewed clothes for the temple workers. Pearl sewed her children’s clothes too.

“The biggest thing I’ve ever made was a slip cover for a two-seater airplane,” Pearl said.

Knitting is another of Pearl’s talents. She has knitted a total of 48 cardigans.

And don’t forget her crocheting.

While she worked at the Manti Temple, Pearl was asked to make doilies for African and South American temples. She crocheted the doilies and created beautiful patterns on them.

Pearl also collects temple pamphlets. She has a binder full of pamphlets from as many temples as she can get, near and far, and continues to expand her collection today.

She gets her pamphlets from friends, neighbors and missionaries who visit the temples and bring the pamphlets back to her.

“Every time someone brings me another pamphlet, a new temple is built!” she said.

She loves that she can keep collecting.

Pearl is dearly loved by her friends, who enjoy visiting and chatting with her. She can cheer up anyone’s day with her stories, smiles and jokes.

She has grown from being a mischievous tomboy to being a savvy seamstress without losing her sense of humor along the way.