Patricia Brown

Patricia Brown, 91, of Winterset, died Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the West Bridge Care & Rehab in Winterset, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow, starting at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be held at a later date in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to the St. Joseph Catholic Church. Patricia Ruth Brown was born into a small Polish family outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 11, 1925. In the Polish tradition, family meant everything to her. From a small row house on the east side of Milwaukee where families huddled together, she began to understand what close relationships meant. She was a woman of humility and grace. She and Don (deceased) raised their own family -- Tom, Patty, and Steve -- in Aberdeen, South Dakota. While there, whether it was through her work at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the late 50s, or tending to the family concession business making her famous beef burgers, she was creating families wherever she went, always extending a benevolent hand. Pat and Don enjoyed a wonderful retirement by traveling all over the country in their RV and even throughout the world. Eventually, they moved to the warmth of Ahwatukee, Arizona where they picked up hobbies like square-dancing and enjoyed a special community of friends. In the summers, though, Mobridge, South Dakota and life on the river was home. They fished, they hosted visitors, and they found peace in that place. Pat was a woman of many hobbies, always diving into her newest interest with zeal. Yet a few of them really stood the test of time: baking, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards, staying connected to family, and being an active member of her church. In 1984 she and Don moved to Winterset where Pat carried out her devotion as an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Those who remember Patricia, 'Patsy' or Pat, will know she always led with a kind heart, an infectious laugh and belief in the goodness of everyone she met. She is survived by her children, Tom (Debbie) Brown of Winterset, Patty Brown of Aberdeen, South Dakota and Steve Brown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; a brother-in-law, Bill Jones of Red Oak; 7 grandchildren, Sarah Brown Wessling, Heidi Brown, Michael (Kelli) Brown, Jessica Medici, Josh Haag, Titus Haag, and Torry Haag, and 13 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Brown; parents; and a brother, Bob Kiedrowicz.