MONTICELLO - James Richard Patterson, of W4304 Wirth Lane, Monticello was taken to his Lord's place for him at 6:40, Tuesday evening, September 14th. He passed peacefully at the HospiceCare, Inc. Center in Fitchburg which he had entered only the preceding day where he was expected to end his dignified struggle with lung and bone cancer that had only been diagnosed on July 2nd.
He was born on the 5th day of April, a beautiful day, in 1946 to Veril and Teresa (Purcell) Patterson. He was his father's 14th child, the last of his father's second family. He attended Argyle schools, mostly in a one-room country school, where for 4 years he was the smartest kid in his class because he was the only kid in his class. He walked 2 miles to school every day, uphill both ways as he told it. He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Argyle and married his first wife Deanne Mayne there in 1965. They had 2 sons, James Jr. and Brian.
Jim held many jobs. Besides farming, he was an electrician's apprentice for Willie Tyler in Browntown at Montgomery Electric and he was a cheese maker for Jake Brunner at Apple Grove. He also worked at Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. in Freeport, IL from 1968 to 1973. Besides being a 3-roll calendar operator, he was also a Union Steward.
He met his wife, Suzanne Meighan (nee Reynolds) in Monroe in August, 1971, and she followed him to Arlington, Texas in 1972. They married January 31st, 1975 in a great Texas downpour and spent most of their first night under a bridge waiting for the rain to subside so they could see to drive home. They had numerous infamous adventures in Texas where Jim was a Core Driller for Southwestern Laboratories. He drilled in many different places/states and got to see a great deal of the western United States. Jim and Sue had a son Joseph in 1977, and in 1980 Jim adopted Sue's daughter, Trisha.
In 1984, Jim and family returned to Wisconsin to farm on Sue's aunt and uncle's farm (Pine Spring Dairy Farm) Gilbert and Barbara Rockey's near Juda, Wisconsin. In 1986, Jim moved to Belleville and went back to drilling at Soils and Engineering Services. While in Belleville, he served on the land use committee for the village board. In 1996 he moved his family to his little paradise on Wirth Lane, near Monticello.
In 2001, he left Soils and bought a dump truck starting his own business, Patterson Enterprise. He was considered the best trucker on many jobs, all thinking he had years of experience but had only just started. That was because every job he did, he gave it his all and had a brilliant mind for researching and learning all he could about whatever he endeavored and he absorbed information like a sponge. He was full of ideas, constantly inventing ways to make things work better or easier at home or working in his shop. He had an uncanny ability to talk with someone for a minute or two and tell you if they were on the up and up or a shyster. In forty years, he appeared to be wrong only once.
Jim never failed to stop to help a stranded motorist or a stranger needing help or a friend wanting advice no matter how busy he was. Never accepting compensation, he told them to just help someone else. He looked forward to every Saturday morning and Sunday morning to meet the "guys" for coffee, either at Monticello or Belleville, starting first to get the latest gossip, then on to solve the problems of the town, the state, the country, the world.
He believed you got what you paid for and he always bought the best. He had sayings for every occasion or situation that presented a challenge. Like, "he's so dumb, you couldn't get him to pour pee out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel." He also thought God had a special angel watching over stupid people because there were so many of them in downtown Madison where he had hauled many loads for street construction jobs.
He loved trucking and loved his green Western Star, number 88. The loving care he took with that truck is probably legend in Southern Wisconsin. Whoever buys it will be very lucky. He took care of all his things the same and was very proud of his home, family, and dogs. He didn't attend church often, and usually not always the same, but he had a constant personal relationship with our Lord Jesus.
He would try to solve his own problems, no matter what, before ever asking for help. And there wasn't anything he couldn't do except maybe the laundry. Once he had a toothache and didn't want to stop to go to the dentist, because trucking is feast or famine, so he went out to his shop and got needle-nosed pliers and pulled it. After stopping the blood, he went on to work the full day without any problems.
His greatest joy was watching his grandson, Jordan Montgomery play sports-baseball, basketball, soccer, football, or listen to him play the piano. In his spare time he was first tending to his big green truck, then he was usually in front of the TV for Packer games and NASCAR, only turning it if "someone" said, "Isn't that over yet?" Then he'd wander to his $1,800 deck of cards (Dell Computer) and play hearts until the cows came home.
He is survived by his wife, Sue, his sons, Jim (Sandy), Brian, Joe, and daughter Trisha, and grandson Jordan. Also surviving him are his brothers, Leo (Bea) Patterson of Juda, and Larry Purcell of Belvidere, IL, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Veril in 1966, born 1896, and mother Teresa in 1988, born 1901, and other siblings.
"We" couldn't have had a better husband, father, friend, uncle, brother, grandpa, neighbor, co-worker if we could have hand-picked him ourself. He is loved, he will be missed-always.
Visitation will be at the Becker-Beal Funeral Home, 109 Greenway Cross, Belleville, WI from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, 2010 followed by a short service. Luncheon will then be served at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall in St. Mary of Lourdes Church, 221 Frederick St, Belleville, WI. Procession to the Argyle cemetery will proceed after lunch; approximately 3:00 p.m. or before. Food donations should go directly to the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, 221 Frederick St., Belleville.
www.bealfuneralhomes.com
He was born on the 5th day of April, a beautiful day, in 1946 to Veril and Teresa (Purcell) Patterson. He was his father's 14th child, the last of his father's second family. He attended Argyle schools, mostly in a one-room country school, where for 4 years he was the smartest kid in his class because he was the only kid in his class. He walked 2 miles to school every day, uphill both ways as he told it. He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Argyle and married his first wife Deanne Mayne there in 1965. They had 2 sons, James Jr. and Brian.
Jim held many jobs. Besides farming, he was an electrician's apprentice for Willie Tyler in Browntown at Montgomery Electric and he was a cheese maker for Jake Brunner at Apple Grove. He also worked at Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. in Freeport, IL from 1968 to 1973. Besides being a 3-roll calendar operator, he was also a Union Steward.
He met his wife, Suzanne Meighan (nee Reynolds) in Monroe in August, 1971, and she followed him to Arlington, Texas in 1972. They married January 31st, 1975 in a great Texas downpour and spent most of their first night under a bridge waiting for the rain to subside so they could see to drive home. They had numerous infamous adventures in Texas where Jim was a Core Driller for Southwestern Laboratories. He drilled in many different places/states and got to see a great deal of the western United States. Jim and Sue had a son Joseph in 1977, and in 1980 Jim adopted Sue's daughter, Trisha.
In 1984, Jim and family returned to Wisconsin to farm on Sue's aunt and uncle's farm (Pine Spring Dairy Farm) Gilbert and Barbara Rockey's near Juda, Wisconsin. In 1986, Jim moved to Belleville and went back to drilling at Soils and Engineering Services. While in Belleville, he served on the land use committee for the village board. In 1996 he moved his family to his little paradise on Wirth Lane, near Monticello.
In 2001, he left Soils and bought a dump truck starting his own business, Patterson Enterprise. He was considered the best trucker on many jobs, all thinking he had years of experience but had only just started. That was because every job he did, he gave it his all and had a brilliant mind for researching and learning all he could about whatever he endeavored and he absorbed information like a sponge. He was full of ideas, constantly inventing ways to make things work better or easier at home or working in his shop. He had an uncanny ability to talk with someone for a minute or two and tell you if they were on the up and up or a shyster. In forty years, he appeared to be wrong only once.
Jim never failed to stop to help a stranded motorist or a stranger needing help or a friend wanting advice no matter how busy he was. Never accepting compensation, he told them to just help someone else. He looked forward to every Saturday morning and Sunday morning to meet the "guys" for coffee, either at Monticello or Belleville, starting first to get the latest gossip, then on to solve the problems of the town, the state, the country, the world.
He believed you got what you paid for and he always bought the best. He had sayings for every occasion or situation that presented a challenge. Like, "he's so dumb, you couldn't get him to pour pee out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel." He also thought God had a special angel watching over stupid people because there were so many of them in downtown Madison where he had hauled many loads for street construction jobs.
He loved trucking and loved his green Western Star, number 88. The loving care he took with that truck is probably legend in Southern Wisconsin. Whoever buys it will be very lucky. He took care of all his things the same and was very proud of his home, family, and dogs. He didn't attend church often, and usually not always the same, but he had a constant personal relationship with our Lord Jesus.
He would try to solve his own problems, no matter what, before ever asking for help. And there wasn't anything he couldn't do except maybe the laundry. Once he had a toothache and didn't want to stop to go to the dentist, because trucking is feast or famine, so he went out to his shop and got needle-nosed pliers and pulled it. After stopping the blood, he went on to work the full day without any problems.
His greatest joy was watching his grandson, Jordan Montgomery play sports-baseball, basketball, soccer, football, or listen to him play the piano. In his spare time he was first tending to his big green truck, then he was usually in front of the TV for Packer games and NASCAR, only turning it if "someone" said, "Isn't that over yet?" Then he'd wander to his $1,800 deck of cards (Dell Computer) and play hearts until the cows came home.
He is survived by his wife, Sue, his sons, Jim (Sandy), Brian, Joe, and daughter Trisha, and grandson Jordan. Also surviving him are his brothers, Leo (Bea) Patterson of Juda, and Larry Purcell of Belvidere, IL, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Veril in 1966, born 1896, and mother Teresa in 1988, born 1901, and other siblings.
"We" couldn't have had a better husband, father, friend, uncle, brother, grandpa, neighbor, co-worker if we could have hand-picked him ourself. He is loved, he will be missed-always.
Visitation will be at the Becker-Beal Funeral Home, 109 Greenway Cross, Belleville, WI from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, 2010 followed by a short service. Luncheon will then be served at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall in St. Mary of Lourdes Church, 221 Frederick St, Belleville, WI. Procession to the Argyle cemetery will proceed after lunch; approximately 3:00 p.m. or before. Food donations should go directly to the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, 221 Frederick St., Belleville.
www.bealfuneralhomes.com