Thief River Falls – Elsie Patterson, 99 years and 21 days, Thief River Falls, passed away on Thursday September 7, 2017 at her residence with her loving family by her side.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 15, 2017 at Grace Lutheran Church in Erskine, with Rev. Timothy Lundeen officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Erskine.
Visitation will be from 5–8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. prayer service on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the funeral on Friday at Grace Lutheran Church in Erskine.
Elsie Millereth Olson was born August 17, 1918 at Mentor, the daughter of Edwin and Ingeborg (Hagen) Olson. She was baptized November 28, 1918 at Saron Lutheran Church and confirmed in 1931 in Mentor. She attended Mentor School. When Elsie was 10 years old her mother died and so the girls of the family had to take on extra duties in the house and on the farm.
On January 14, 1939, Elsie was united in marriage to Elmer Patterson at Crookston and to this union four children were born: Lois, David, Deryl and Lorraine. They settled on a farm in Badger Township, Polk County, just south of Erskine.
Elsie was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Erskine and was president of Ladies Aid for four years. Following Elmer’s death in 1982, Elsie stayed on the farm for the next 15 years where she continued on taking care of the farm. In October of 1997, she bought a home and moved to Thief River Falls where she resided until the time of her death. She mowed grass until June of this year.
Elsie helped with farm work, such as milking cows, helping put up hay stacks and wherever help was needed. She made furniture and also re-upholstered sofas, chairs and boat seats. Elsie was a quilter, baked bread, was an avid reader and had read over 2000 books 3 times. She had a big garden and canned, sewed her children’s clothes for school and sewed wedding dresses.
Elsie loved music and was a self-taught accordion, guitar and piano player, and tried to play the violin. Elsie was 100% Norwegian. There wasn’t anything that Elsie couldn’t do, she would always try. Her motto was use it up, wear it out or use it for something else.
She is survived by children: Lois (Wayne R.) Kolstad, David (Bev Palmer) Patterson, Deryl (Kathy) Patterson and Lorraine (Jerome) Sorenson; grandchildren: Kirk Kolstad, Eleanor (Dean) Stone, Ed Kolstad, Darlene Kolstad, Stanley Kolstad, Perry (Elvira) Patterson, Patricia (Bart) Adams, Michael (Tanya) Patterson, Mitchell (Shawna) Patterson, Kristine Patterson, Jason (Randi) Patterson, Michelle (Jason) Kempert and Dana (Bethany) Sorenson; and many great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Elsie is preceded in death by her husband Elmer in 1982; parents, Edwin and Ingeborg Olson; grandparents: Ole and Anna Olson and Tiedman and Anna Hagen; brother and sisters: Alvin Olson, Anna Johnson, Ida Lindseth, Clara Wodahl, Gertie Olson, Gladys Johnston, Hazel Anderson and Ruth Hanson.
Family condolences may be sent to www.johnsonfuneralservice.com
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Elsie M. Patterson, 99
