Wendl’s earrings are mementos of her life and travels

 

Panora woman says she owns approximately 170 pairs. 

 

By Rich Wicks | Panora Times, December 2025

Throughout her adult life, Linda Wendl has enjoyed earrings. She noted that while she never chose to purposely start a collection, she now owns approximately 170 pair, so she admits the term “collection” probably fits. 

Wendl recalled when she first started wearing earrings.

“It started when I pierced my ears in high school. I pierced my own. And then, when I got to college, one girl wanted me to pierce her ears, so I did,” Wendl said. “From then on, I’d get knocks on my door at all hours of the night with girls asking if I could pierce their ears. It’s one of those things that I probably shouldn’t have done, but I did.”

Although her method was neither high-tech nor sterile, none of Wendl’s “patients” suffered infection or other problems.

“I used a bar of soap behind their ears, and just a needle and thread, and I would put it into the soap and then pull it through,” she said.

With her ears pierced, Wendl gradually started accumulating earrings that she liked. Many of the items in her collection have been purchased from her travels within the USA and abroad.

“Most of my earrings, I’ve gotten when I travel. They’re fun to buy, and they don’t take up much room, so I’ve got earrings from a lot of different countries, and I have a lot that have been gifts,” Wendl said. “And, I’ve got seasonal earrings — Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day.”

 As Wendl looked through her assorted earrings, she recalled how, when and where each was acquired. She showed a few unmatched earrings that have lost their mate, but Wendl has kept the singles for sentimental reasons — and in case the matching earring would show back up.

“I love turquoise and American Indian jewelry,” Wendl said. “I gravitate toward turquoise a lot. Anytime I see someone wearing American Indian jewelry, I notice it right away.”

Wendl’s collection is all about the memories and meaning behind each pair rather than any monetary value.

“Nothing is really valuable; they’re just fun,” she said.

Over the years, as Wendl’s collection grew, she began to need a convenient way to keep them all organized. Luckily, she found an easy solution with a commercial earring display rack. 

“When Younkers sold out, they had this display for $25, so I put this on my dresser with the earrings I wear the most,” she said.

When asked to point out her favorite pair of earrings, Wendl said she does not have one. Instead, she simply looks for a pair that matches well with whatever clothes she wears on a certain day.

While the majority of Wendl’s earrings are for pierced ears, she showed a few pairs of clip-on earrings, which are among the oldest items in her collection. She said she seldom wears those, because they simply are not comfortable.

“After a while, they pinch,” Wendl said. 

Wendl said she doesn’t purposely set out to add to her collection, but it just happens naturally. She explained with a smile that a familiar pattern has emerged.

“Every once in a while, I’ll go shopping with a friend and I’ll realize I forgot to put on earrings, and I’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll have to buy some… darn.” n