Frances Jean Patterson

ST. ANSGAR — Frances Jean Patterson, 90, of St. Ansgar, died on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Center, St. Ansgar.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Toeterville, Iowa, with the Rev. Lance Kittleson officiating.

Burial will be in the St. Ansgar Cemetery.

Visitation is scheduled for Sunday from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar, and one hour prior to service at the church.

Fran was born on Feb. 4, 1926, on the family farm 1 ½ miles northeast of St. Ansgar to Eugene E. and Lucile (Holmes) Thompson.

She was baptized and confirmed at the Methodist Church in St. Ansgar. She attended Spring Valley Country School and St. Ansgar, graduating in 1944 from St. Ansgar High School. She was in chorus, junior class president and also played drums in the St. Ansgar High School band.

Fran attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie and Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI), Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduating with a B.A. in elementary education in 1955.

Fran was united in marriage to John W. Patterson on June 16, 1956, at the First Lutheran Church, St. Ansgar, and to this union three children were born, Jeanie, Susan and Mark. They lived in Waterloo, Iowa, for three years, prior to moving to the farm in Union Township in 1959.

Her teaching career began in 1946 teaching Floyd, Iowa, then at Lowell Elementary School in Waterloo, and after moving back to the Toeterville area she then taught for over 30 years in Lyle, Minnesota, retiring in 1990.

Fran was a member of the Stitch & Chat Club, American Legion Auxiliary, was past president of the Ladies Aid and taught Sunday School at St. Peter Lutheran Church where she was a longtime member.

She wrote poetry in her younger years. Fran was an avid Iowa Hawkeye football fan and had season tickets for a time. She enjoyed camping, gardening, golfing and traveling.

She loved her children and grandchildren. She and John attended as many of their activities and sporting events as they could.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; infant daughter, Susan; sister Pauline (Alvin) Kroneman; brothers-in-law, Don (Enid) Patterson, Max Patterson, Darrell (Ruth) Patterson, Otto Nelson; sister-in-law, Helen (Clarence) Debner.

Fran is survived by a daughter, Jeanie (Doug) Heimer of Rock Falls, IA; son, Mark (Gayle) Patterson of St. Ansgar; 6 grandchildren, Jake (Kelli Jo) Heimer of Nora Springs, Justin (Lisa) Heimer of Mason City, Cole (Jena) Heimer of Cedar Falls, Bobby Patterson of Council Bluffs, John D. Patterson and Hannah Patterson of St. Ansgar; 4 great-grandchildren, Thad and Karli Heimer of Nora Springs, Bryce and Brooklyn Heimer of Mason City; sisters-in-law, Neva Nelson of St. Ansgar, Mildred Patterson of Osage and Lois (Walter) Benesh of Austin, MN; many nieces and nephews.

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar, IA. 641-713-4920. www.schroederandsites.com.