Pamela (Reider) Watne

Pamela (Reider) Watne, 72, of Galt passed away Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at Rotary Senior Living in Eagle Grove.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, November 1, 2024 at Missionary Alliance Church, 501 3^rd Street in Blairsburg, with Pastor Danny Housholder officiating.  Burial will be held at Holmes Lutheran Cemetery in rural Holmes.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

Pamela Watne, the daughter of Charles and Audrey (Evans) Reider, was born May 30, 1952, in New Castle, Pennsylvania.  The family moved to San Bernardino, California, where she grew up and graduated salutatorian from San Gorgonio High School in 1970.  

She continued her prestigious education at California State University majoring in Social Sciences and again graduating with high honors.  During her time at Cal State, Pam sat first chair flute playing with the San Bernardino Symphony. After Cal State, Pam graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena with a Master of Arts in Theology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy. The title of her thesis was, “Battered Women.” During this time, she met her future husband Stan Watne. 

The couple was united in marriage on December 15, 1979, at the Church of Christ Congregation in Highland, California.  They moved back to Galt where they raised their family on the farm.  

From a young age, Pam was dedicated to helping others through the most difficult aspects of life. In Iowa, she applied her graduate learning to her work at a domestic violence shelter in Fort Dodge, before domestic violence was largely condemned in society. Her experience as a counselor also included working at youth shelters, in private practice, and in public mental health. She provided counseling services to a wide variety of people in rural Iowa, earning the trust of community and family as an excellent listener and loyal friend. Her training included hospice volunteer training, grief and loss counseling, counseling survivors of suicide in a family, and critical incident stress debriefing, among other topics. She helped people at all stages of life and became a guardian for many. Counseling was her deepest calling and vocation, and her spirit carried deep kindness. She also loved to laugh, and often included jokes in her teaching, curating a collection of cartoons for levity to include when leading a difficult conversation. She was committed throughout her life to peace, non-violence, and was strongly against racism. She also valued loyal friendships, making weekly visits to connect with friends and offer support, further deepening her sense of community.  

In her free time, Pam loved to share her musical talents through playing the flute and singing, was an avid reader, and kept up on current events by listening to NPR. Pam had a strong faith, which she expressed through teaching Sunday school and leading a small group Bible study. She was a member of Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Blairsburg, Iowa, and Lutheran Church of Hope, Ames, Iowa. 

Pam is survived by her husband of 44 years Stanley Watne of Galt; son John (Mary) Abraham-Watne; daughter Audrey Watne; brothers Brian (Alane) Reider, Rev. Greg (Jeanelle) Reider, Nathan (Robin) Reider along with many nieces, nephews and extended family. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Audrey Reider, and stepmother Olga Reider. 

www.ewingfh.com

Ewing Funeral Home

1801 Central Avenue East

Clarion, Iowa 50525

515-532-2233