Pammel Family History & Genealogy

Violet E Pammel Remembered David L Oetjen . . Violet Emmeline Pammel was born in Sept. 22, 1895 in Ames, Ia, the daughter of Dr. Louis and Augusta Emmel Pammel. Her father, Louis H. Pammel, was the pioneering head of the Botany Department at Iowa State College. (now Iowa State University.) She grew up in Ames, graduated from Ames public schools and received her bachelor's degree in home economics from Iowa State.in 1917. While attending college she was active in athletics with many medals won in golf, tennis, hockey, and basketball and was the first woman to receive letters in three sports, After graduation she found employment during World War I as a dietitian for the armed forces at Ft Lewis in Pierce, Washington.. Later she became fruit manager for the government hotels in Washington D.C. After the war she became manager of the Cosmos Club in Washington and later was manager of the cafeteria and Phoenix cafe at the Roosevelt Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1930 she became manager of the prestigious Chilton Women's Club in Boston, Mass., a post she would hold for 25 years. During her tenure there she she proudly remembered serving many famous personages including American aviator, Charles Lindbergh, an honored guest of the club. She came to Iowa City in 1954 to serve as director of food service at the Memorial Union. I first met Violet Pammel when I was an undergraduate at the University of Iowa 1958. Her responsibilities at the Memorial Union were multifaceted and included operation of the public cafeteria, the Herky Room, the student grill, the professor's dining room of the Triangle Club, located on an upper level of the Union. But more importantly, she was responsible for all the dinning room facilities of the Union. Dinner parties ranged in size from intimate luncheons of two, to banquets of several thousand utilizing the enormous main lounge/ballroom of the Student Union, While as a student at Iowa, I was one of about thirty student waiters in PDR (which was an abbreviation for Private Dining Room). One of the assignments I particularly remember was serving the President of the University, Virgil M Hancher and guest to the University, Dag Hammarskjold, then secretary general of the United Nations. One of the very large parties I worked was serving several thousand members of the International Rotary Club during their week long international convention held on the campus which included breakfast, lunch and dinner every day during the convention. I remember I received a tip of over $200.00 for my serving efforts. Another famous guest at a large banquet, was John F Kennedy in 1959, then a presidential candidate. Other guests at various times were Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost and chief justice Earl Warren during a visit to the university, as well as numerous guest speakers for the University of Iowa lecture series. I also once served at a reception under her direction, at the University President's home. Violet E Pammel Born September 22, 1895 Ames, Iowa Death Jan 30 1970 (74 yo) Iowa City, Ia She is buried in the Iowa State University cemetery in Ames, Iowa

Violet Pammel of Iowa City, Johnson County, IA was born on September 22, 1895, and died at age 74 years old in January 1970.

Harold E Pammel of Washington Grove, Montgomery County, MD was born on January 23, 1897, and died at age 74 years old on January 15, 1972.

Mona Pammel of Washington Grove, Montgomery County, Maryland was born on September 13, 1903, and died at age 83 years old in June 1987.

Peter L Pammel of Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY was born on June 14, 1934, and died at age 75 years old on October 20, 2009.

Stephen P Pammel was born on June 13, 1957, and died at age 52 years old on October 17, 2009. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Stephen P Pammel.