Patricia Ann (Olson) Matheny of Buffalo, MN passed away Tuesday April 7, 2015 at the Annandale Centennial Villa Assisted Living.

Patricia Ann Olson was born in Clarion, Iowa on April 23, 1935.  She was the first child of Paul LaVerne Olson and Mildred (Van Buskirk) Olson.  She lived in Clarion the first 7 years of her life close to grandparents, aunts and uncles and many cousins - visiting often and standing proudly for many a photograph with her parents in their Sunday best.  She was a pretty and polite little girl growing up in a sheltered home during the Great Depression.

In 1944, during WWII, she and her parents moved to Minneapolis and her father went to work at the Ford Motor Company. The Olson family bought their first house on 14th Ave SE.  In 1945 before penicillin was available for treatment of the general population all three of them got pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. Just when Patty was probably thinking she was quite the big girl attending 7th grade and ready to take on the world her sister Mary Jo was born and then 20 months later Nancy.  Suddenly she had two little sisters to help take care of and to sew doll clothes and dresses for.  She was now a part of the three "Olson sisters".

Patricia graduated from High School at Marshall High School in 1952 having enjoyed dances, golf, modeling for the department stores downtown, singing solos at school concerts and attending parties with friends.  At the age of 19 she eloped with Jerry Welch, a local athlete two years her senior and also a Marshall HS graduate.  Jerry enlisted in the Army and they lived in Heidelberg Germany from 1953-1956.  This was still the post WWII reconstruction time period in Germany and Pat told many interesting stories of living on the second floor of a cold old house where water and coal were carried up the stairs in buckets.  They had a wonderful adventure for two years with many friends and the birth of their only child, Vicki Lynn Welch in 1956.  When Vicki was only 3 months old Pat and Jerry returned to Minneapolis where family was thrilled to welcome them home again.  They lived in NE Minneapolis, both Pat and Jerry worked.  Pat divorced Jerry in about 1960.

Patricia married a 2nd time to Robert Matheny in 1962.  Patricia, Bob and Vicki moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa and later Woodstock, Illinois where horses and dogs became an integral part of their lives.  They eventually moved back to Minnesota near Paynesville on a hobby farm with room for Vicki to barrel race.  Although Pat divorced Bob in 1975 they maintained a friendship until Bob's death in 1988.

Pat worked in a number of organizations throughout her career including the Health Department and the University of Minnesota.  She was a financial assistant at several different manufacturing companies, preparing payroll and tracking business expenses.  She lived about three years in Sitka Alaska during the 1990's before returning to Minnesota.  She also worked at a couple title companies, preparing title closing documents.   In retirement she moved to Buffalo to be closer to her daughter Vicki and son-in-law, Todd Buhl.

She led an active and interesting life.  She enjoyed bowling, golf, dancing, cooking, sewed, knitted, crocheted, painted, researched family history, read, wrote interesting short stories, enjoyed email and the internet.  She was a capable, intelligent and caring woman to family and friends alike.  Pat loved dogs and had many of them over her 79 years.  She always did her best to do things the right way, a generous and caring person to talk with.

She was a valiant and uncomplaining breast cancer survivor and later developed COPD.  Her final residence was the Annandale Centennial Villa Memory Care.  Though her memory never faltered she needed additional assistance at the end that the Memory Care was able to provide.  She had a very nice efficiency apartment.

She will be missed.

Patricia is preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Mildred Olson, an infant sister, Cathy as well as second husband Bob Matheny.  She is survived by her daughter Vicki Lynne (Welch) Buhl and son-in-law Todd of Cokato, MN; sister Mary Jo Nelsen and husband Lenn of Minneapolis, sister Nancy Kneeland of Arden Hills, MN; two nieces, Moira Bateman and Rachel Kneeland.

She will be buried at the Sunset memorial Park in Minneapolis, with a service and interment at a later time to be announced.