Pearl McPhail

Pearl McPhail, age 93, of Willmar and formerly of Esko and Alexandria, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, at Rice Care Center in Willmar.


Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the Willmar United Methodist Church in Willmar. Interment will be at the Carlos Prairie Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home. www.petersonbrothers.com


Pearl McPhail was born on November 22, 1924, on the family farm near Clear Lake, South Dakota, the daughter of William and Marguerite (Zimmerman) Switzenberg. At the age of 8, she moved with her family to Marietta, Minnesota and received her education from country schools. At the age of 15, Pearl moved again with her family to a farm near Glenwood where she was employed as a clerk at the local drug store. On July 15, 1945, Pearl was united in marriage to James W. McPhail and they made their home in Alexandria where she was employed as a clerk at a drug store. In 1966, they moved to a farm near Esko and Pearl worked as a homemaker and a horse and garden keeper. In 1989, her husband, James died and in 1994, Pearl moved to Willmar. Since 2004, she has resided at the Rice Care Center in Willmar. Pearl was a member of the Willmar United Methodist Church and a long time member of a horse and saddle club. She enjoyed knitting, canning foods, baking and visiting with her family and friends.


She is survived by three children, Gary (and Carol) McPhail of Carlos, Cynthia (and John) Sordahl of Willmar and Colleen (and Bruce) LaCombe of Lakeville; six grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; one daughter-in-law, Patti McPhail of Cromwell and one sister-in-law, Shirley Switzenberg, besides other relatives and friends.


She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Ronald in 2013; one grandson, Adam Sordahl in 2009; four brothers, Willie, Ed, Carl and Ben; four sisters, Verona, Della, Ruth and Mae "Babe", one daughter-in-law, Susan McPhail and one sister-in-law, Marjorie McPhail Burr.

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