Mildred Lila Patterson

St. Ansgar- Mildred Patterson passed on to her Heavenly home December 12 at Good Samaritan Center in St. Ansgar. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021 at First Lutheran Church, St. Ansgar with Rev. Christopher Staley officiating. Visitation be held Friday from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church. Burial will take place at St. Ansgar Cemetery.

Mildred Lila Holstad was born November 8, 1918 on the family farm in Brookfield township, Worth County, near Northwood Iowa. to Bendick and Hilda (Erickson) Holstad. This was the farm her grandfather Joe B. Holstad brought his bride Guri (Hopperstad) Holstad from Norway in 1866 on their honeymoon to homestead, it was also the farm Bendick and all of his siblings were born.

Mildred was number seven in the family of eleven children. She was baptized in the home of her Uncle Ed and Aunt Gustie Holstad in Northwood because of the flu epidemic of that time, she was confirmed at the Shell Rock Lutheran Church west of Northwood May 1, 1932. Her first four years of school were at Brookfield Number 2 rural school near Northwood later graduating from Northwood High School in 1935.

Mildred met a young sailor by the name of Max Patterson while he was home on leave at the Terp Ballroom in Austin, Mn. They were married in San Diego, California September 18, 1943 while Max was still in the Navy. After Max’s discharge they moved back to the Lyle, St. Ansgar area to begin their farming careers.

To this union five sons were born, Craig, Jerry, Roger, Mike, and Phil. Mildred was a stay-at-home Mom to five very active boys and a partner to Max with the farming. Her sons were Mildred’s top priority, and usually in charge of the daily discipline. At four feet eleven and three quarters Mildred wasn’t very tall and she wasn’t very fast but she kept everyone in line with the three-foot wooden yardstick from the Toeterville co-op that she kept inside the basement door. When you heard that door open you knew it was time to run!

Max and Mildred moved to the Nickerson Seed Farm in 1976 to start their second career in the seed business, later changing the name to Patterson Seed and retiring to St. Ansgar in 1995. Max and Mildred were active members of Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church of rural Lyle, Mn. For nearly fifty years and later transferring to First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, Ia. in 1996.

Mildred is survived by her five sons, Craig, Jerry (Susan), Roger (Diane), Mike (Lisa), Phil (Jodi) all of the St. Ansgar area. Granddaughters and spouses: Julie, Kim, Mandy, DarTanya, Darcy, Danielle. Grandsons and spouses: Jamie, Scott, Chris, Terry, Jeremy, Dustin, and 26 great-grandchildren. Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, husband Max, daughter-in-law Ramona, and granddaughter Kelsi.

Mildred was the last survivor of hers and Max’s immediate family: Julia (Gerhard) Stumo, Gilma Holstad, Lillian (Jewel) Thompson, Evelyn (Roy) Gordon, Luella (Curtis) Leidal, Burnette (Leon) Sanderson, Marvin (Fern) Holstad, Irving (Dorothy) Holstad, Idena (Stan) Hagen, Aldon (Kathryn) Holstad. Brother and sister in laws: Neva (Otto) Nelson, Don (Enid) Patterson, John (Fran) Patterson, Darrel (Ruth) Patterson, Helen (Clarence) Debner, Lois (Walt) Benesh.

Mildred’s family would like to thank all of the nurses and staff at Faith Lutheran Assisted Living and the Good Samaritan Center and St. Croix Hospice for their excellent care, she thought the world of all of you. Thank you to Pastor Staley for your visits and kind words it was much appreciated.

I’m sure Max is waiting for you at the start of the parade route with his shiny black Percheron horses and his Patterson Seed hitch wagon with a load of kids to start the parade! In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to St. Ansgar First Responders, First Lutheran Church St. Ansgar, Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church Lyle, Mn.

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