Patricia Ann Simonsen

Patricia A. Simonsen, died January 16, 2019, at Waverly Gardens in North Oaks, Minnesota. Patricia was born October 13, 1929, in Cascade, Iowa and grew up in Harlan, Iowa. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the College of St. Teresa in Winona, MN in 1952, and then taught nursing at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, MN. She later taught at St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee and then obtained her Master’s Degree from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where she also worked at the University Hospital. In 1956 Pat joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, appointed as the Educational Director of the Luther Hospital School of Nursing. She held this position until her marriage to M. James Simonsen in 1963. In 1965, she taught the last class of nurses to graduate from Luther Hospital. She later worked for the Mental Health Association in Eau Claire County, and was named the MHA’s Woman of the Year in 1995. Pat was an accomplished quiltmaker, quilting teacher and judge, teaching others through University Outreach and Chippewa Valley Technical College. Her quilts have been pictured in national quilting magazines and in several books, and have been loved and used by many family members. She was an active member of the Newman Catholic Community, where she coordinated Communion bread-baking, taught Sunday school and adult classes, and did pre-marriage counseling with her husband. Over many years, she volunteered with the PTA, Camp Fire, the Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society; she also served as President of the University Women’s Association of UWEC and was a member of the board of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Library. She was an excellent vegetable gardener, canner of produce, baker of pies, and a prolific reader of books. Survivors include her daughters, Ann (Mark) Oswood, Julie (Robb) Dennert and Jane (Mike Augspurger) Simonsen; sister, Mary (Richard) Magee; brother, Raymond (Linda) Finn; and grandchildren, Christian, Tommy, and Margaret Oswood; Sam (Jessica), Molly, and Charlie Dennert, and Soli, Nat, and Toby Augspurger. She was preceded in death by her parents; and her beloved friend and husband, Jim. The family would like to thank the women of Care Partners homecare for their kind, compassionate, respectful, and loving care of Pat throughout the last two years of her life. We are deeply grateful. Memorials may be given to L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, Eau Claire. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 am, on Monday, January 21, 2019, at Newman Parish, at the Ecumenical Religious Center, 110 Garfield Ave, Eau Claire, with Father Frank Corradi officiating. Parking is available adjacent to the church in the Hibbard Humanities lot at the intersection of Park Ave. and Garfield Ave. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm, on Sunday, January 20, 2019, at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 First Ave, Eau Claire, and again one hour prior to the Mass on Monday at church. Inurnment will be held at a later date in Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire.

Service Information

Visitation

Sunday, January 20 2019
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home
814 First Ave
Eau Claire WI 54703

Visitation

Monday, January 21 2019
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Newman Parish at the Ecumenical Religious Center
110 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701

Mass

Monday, January 21 2019
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Newman Parish at the Ecumenical Religious Center
110 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701