PATRICIA K. MIKKELSEN
Patricia Kathryn Ann Mahoney was born November 15, 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska. She was the fifth of six children born to Arthur and Anna (Dollarshell) Mahoney. Patricia went to kindergarten and first grade in Platte Center, Nebraska then spent her grade school years at District #7 outside of Columbus, Nebraska. It was there in grade school she met Jimmy Mikkelsen and would grow up to marry him.
Patricia graduated from high school at the Good Shepherd Girls Home in Omaha, Nebraska in 1953. After graduation she worked in the offices of Dunn and Bradstreet and Supreme Forest Insurance Company in Omaha.
On September 16, 1955 Patricia married James Andrew Mikkelsen in Shenandoah, Iowa. To this union three children were born: Rick, Rodney, and Sherri, each less than a year apart.
Patricia was a partner and right-hand man to her husband in his construction company and many building adventures. In their younger years they would buy old houses at tax sales and then work side by side to strip and restore the homes for resale. She cleaned, painted and stained more houses than she cared to remember. She did all the bookwork for Mikkelsen Construction and later brought it up to the computer age.
Pat and Jim were very involved in the AA program. They met many lifelong friends through this organization. Pat had large flower gardens and loved her time outside working in the yard. When her grandkids came along they were her pride and joy.
After Jim died Pat went to work in offices at Cooper Nuclear Station, Armstrong Cabinets, Farmers Co-op, and Johnson Motors. She worked until she was 69 years old. She also took up golfing and spent many hours enjoying the game in leagues and trying out different courses. After retirement she was able to help in taking care of her great-grandkids so their parents could work. She went to all her grandkids and great-grandkids events until her back became too painful to be away from her chair for long periods. In her ailing years her degenerative arthritis kept her from doing much.
On Sunday, January 12, 2020 Pat went to be with the Lord after complications from surgery at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. She had reached the age of 85 years, 1 month, and 28 days. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1989, her son Rodney Lee in 2003 and her son Ricky James in 2018. Other family who have passed are her brothers Paul and John Mahoney; sisters Mary Ellen Kroupa and Joan Pieters Cole and her husbands Pete Pieters and Bob Cole; brothers-in-law Marshal Mikkelsen, Don Mikkelsen, and Bill Ingold; and sister-in-law Sue Mikkelsen.
Pat is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Sherri and Harry Harney of Julian; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren (and one on the way); sister and brother-in-law Phyllis and Orville Spitz of Columbus; brother-in-law Hart and wife Jeanette Mikkelsen; sisters-in-law Joan Mimick and Rita Ingold; other relatives and friends.
A funeral service, officiated by Rev. John Telgren, was held Thursday, January 16, 2020 at Hemmingsen Funeral Home in Auburn. Dave Pieters offered some words of reflection. Casket bearers were Dave Pieters, Ryan Taylor, Chris Mikkelsen, Lucas Mikkelsen, John Lindinger, and Craig Chase. Burial was in Walnut Grove Cemetery at Brownville.
Services were entrusted to Hemmingsen Funeral Home of Auburn.