L. Pauline Rothwell

Pauline, as she preferred to be called, was born in Goldthwaite, Texas on May 6, 1925 to Ola and Ernest Eakin. She had two sisters, Hazel Colvin and Pawnee Etheridge who survive her, and one brother, Marvin, who died of illness in his teenage years. Pauline grew up in Priddy, Texas where she was catcher on the girls softball team and liked to tell the story of her entire graduating high school class going to the big city of Goldthwaite in the school superintendent’s car.

After high school she worked as a waitress in a cafe where she met Jim Rothwell, home on leave from the Army to visit his mother and brother in nearby Mullen. She remembered him as the tall, handsome basketball player in games that pitted the Priddy Pirates against the Mullin Bulldogs and, after dating a short while, they were married on May 8, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas.

They began their life together in Roswell, New Mexico, where Jim was stationed. They had two children in Roswell, daughter, Dawna Newman and son, Gary Rothwell. Jim was transferred to Fort Hood, Texas and moved the family to Killeen, Texas. Jim’s next assignment was with the occupying forces in Europe. Pauline, by herself, took her two small children from Texas to New York by train and from New York to Germany by steamship where they were re-united with Jim and spent over two wonderful years exploring Europe with visits to Holland, Spain and Switzerland. While in Germany Pauline had a young woman come in once a week and do ironing for her and only regretted the girls in Priddy couldn’t see her now. They transferred from Germany to France where they lived in a small, rural village where Pauline perfected her Tex/French cuisine.

After the tour of Europe, Jim was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington and the family moved to Lacey. Pauline loved to go camping, clam digging and just sight seeing. Old home movies show both she and Jim seemed to love the rivers and lakes and had no desire to ever leave Washington. She was very active in both Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, serving as a Leader and a Den Mother.

When her children were old enough, she worked part time at Wells Flower Shop in downtown Olympia. Eventually she went to work full time for the State of Washington and became an auditor and delighted in catching “big shots” trying to pad their Per Diem expenses. During this time she had her first grandchild, Tim Rothwell and would encourage his mom and dad to go places on the weekends so she and Jim could take care of Tim. Tim was, and remained, a special joy in her life.

She lost Jim, the love of her life in 2003 and eventually moved to Capitol Place Retirement Residence. She enjoyed taking bus tours and traveled as far as Niagara Falls and seldom missed a trip to a casino. Her health began to falter in 2008 and she eventually succumbed to heart failure on Nov. 18, 2011 in Capitol Medical Center with her son Gary at her side.

The most joyful memory of Pauline is that she got to hold her first great grand child, Adam Glenn Andrew Rothwell just weeks before her passing and while in good health and good spirits.

Pauline was loved dearly and will be missed by her extended family which includes; , Dawna Rothwell and Harvey Hale, Gary Rothwell and Sandra and Justin Kalla, Susan Rothwell and Rod and Rachael Mason, Tim, Kristen and Adam Rothwell, her two sisters, and nephews and nieces from Alaska to Australia.