Pearline Tatum's Final Farewell 1933-2025

UPDATE: WITH ALL OF YOUR HELP WE HAVE ALMOST REACHED OUR GOAL.

WE ARE SO DEEPLY GRATEFUL!!!!

Help Us Honor the Life of Pearline “Grandma Pearl” Tatum

Hi, my name is Saebra, and I’m the granddaughter-in-law of Pearline Tatum — but to me, she was simply Grandma. As she always said, “Family is family.”

On June 8th, 2025, our beloved Grandma Pearl passed away peacefully in her sleep at home, surrounded by love. After a long and courageous journey with dementia, she is now resting with the Lord.

We’re reaching out to our friends, family, and community to ask for your support as we raise funds to help cover her funeral and cremation expenses, and to lay her to rest beside her beloved husband at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

A Life of Love, Faith, and Service

Grandma Pearl lived a beautiful life for 91 years. Born in Texas in the 1930s during the Jim Crow era, she moved with her family to Indio, California in the 1940s in search of a better life. There, she met and married her husband — a fellow Texas native who later served in the Army and spent over 30 years working in the Emergency Department at JFK Hospital.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and faithful servant in her church community, where she and her husband both served as ushers.

‍ My Journey With Grandma

I met Grandma in 2008 when I got engaged to her grandson, and from the moment we met, she welcomed me into the family with open arms and a warm heart. She told me to call her Grandma — and from that day on, I was hers.

As a caregiver by profession, I often helped her through surgeries and recovery. Over the years, our bond grew stronger. Whether we were cleaning the house, visiting, or making her favorite meal — tacos with French fries — we made memories that I will cherish forever.

In 2021, after a fall, she needed full-time care — and I moved in with her. For four years, we were roommates. We laughed, we cried, we got feisty with each other, and we ate a lot of In-N-Out. It was the most meaningful time of my life.

With the help of Palm Springs Hospice, Grandma was able to stay in her home until the very end — surrounded by comfort, care, and love.

How You Can Help

We’re humbly asking for any support you can give to help us:

Cover the cost of Grandma’s cremation

Assist with final arrangements

Ensure her peaceful burial alongside her husband, a proud Army veteran

No amount is too small. Every dollar brings us closer to giving Grandma Pearl the respectful and loving goodbye she so deserves.

Her Favorite Song

Grandma’s favorite song was “I’m on the Battlefield for My Lord” — and she truly was. Her life was a testament to strength, grace, and unwavering faith. Her spirit lives on in all of us.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting. From the bottom of our hearts — we are deeply grateful.

The Tatum Family