Pamela Ernstine Dettmers

Pam grew up in the western Oklahoma towns of Fairview, Enid, Altus and Seiling. Her father, Otto, was a baker, and one of her cherished memories was making deliveries with him in their bread truck. Pam played varsity basketball for Seiling High School, and later attended Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma, where she joined the Delta Gamma Sorority and earned her bachelor’s degree in education. For the next few years, she taught elementary school children in Kansas and Oklahoma. In the summer of 1953, Pam traveled with a small tour group on a two-month excursion throughout Europe, thus commencing her wanderlust.

Pam met Kurt (love at first sight!) at a YWCA dance, and they married there in Tulsa on June 19,1955 at The Boston Avenue Methodist Church. They started married life in Magnolia, AR, where their first son, Kyle was born. Soon thereafter, in 1957 Kurt, Pam, and Kyle moved to San Tome, Venezuela where Kurt worked for the Gulf Oil Corp (Mene Grande). Two sons, Eric and Mark, soon followed. San Tome, the largest foreign oil company camp in the world, was idyllic with many young American, Venezuelan, and European families living together. Pam taught school, enjoyed playing golf, actively participated in social and church activities, building everlasting bonds with fellow expatriate and Venezuelan families, alike.

In 1983, the family moved back to the United States where Pam and Kurt settled in Kingwood, TX as their sons attended and graduated from Texas Universities. In Kingwood, Pam enjoyed her retirement with travel, serving with Houston Delphians, and bridge… lots of bridge. During her time at Watercrest in Kingwood, she became a Ruby Life Master, placing herself in a top-tier of competitive bridge players. Pam enjoyed communing with the Lord, and with her First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood family. She was hearing the Present Word of God just before her passing.

Pam is survived by her sons, Kyle, Eric, and Mark, Mark’s wife Soraya, and their children Nicholas, Nicholas’ wife Susy and their daughter Natalia, Christian, and Sofia.

Pam was a social butterfly. She touched many hearts with her warmth, gentleness, joy, and compassion. The world is a better place for her having been here.

The burial service will be conducted under the guidance of the First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood at the Houston National Cemetery on November 7th, 2025, at 9:30 AM. The Celebration of Life service will be at Good Shepherd Methodist Church in Cypress, Texas on Saturday November 8th, 2025, at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org).