Patricia Jean Fridgen

Patricia Jean (McDonald) Fridgen, 89, of Hawley, MN, passed away on Thursday, December 12, 2019, in her home.

Patricia was born on March 4, 1930, to John and Katherine (Horan) McDonald, the last born on the family farm in Hawley, MN. She grew up in Hawley, and graduated from Hawley High School. She met Vincent Fridgen in Ortonville, MN, where they were united in marriage on November 11, 1950. She moved to the Fargo/Moorhead area in 1952. She was a homemaker for several years until she began her work for Blue Cross Blue Shield in 1967 as a claims clerk. She retired in 1997 and moved to Hawley in 2000 where she lived ever since.

Patricia is survived by her children, Mary (Jerry) Rutten, Michael (Kathy) Fridgen, LeeAnn (Ron) Gilberg, Helen Kristofitz, and Jean Kaspari; grandchildren, Tracy (Dan) Hansen, Chris (Elizabeth) Foerster, Nicole (Michael) Newfield, Chad (Kim) Jansen, Michelle (Matt) Krebs, Timothy Foerster, Rachelle (Nate) Barckholtz, Laura (Matt) Schons, Danielle Kaspari, Matthew (Cassie) Jansen, Shawn (Jessica) Kristofitz, Joshua (Emily) Fridgen, Jason (Fatima) Rutten, Sarah (Tyler) Peterson, Michael (Danielle) Foerster, Leigh (Dusty) Lund, Nicholas Kaspari, Jenna Kristofitz, and Melissa (Eric) Crooker; 39 great-grandchildren; siblings, Charles (Betty) McDonald, Margaret Ristvedt, and Sara (Glenn) Cook; and many other loving relatives and friends.

Patricia is preceded in death by her husband, Vincent; son, James; great-grandchild, Benjamin Newfield; parents, John and Katherine; and her siblings, James, Donald, John, Catherine, Mary, Barbara, and Richard.

If someone would try to sum up Pats life in a phrase it would be “love of family.”  She was the 6^th child of 11 and was born a caretaker.  With 2 working parents she embraced the responsibility of cooking, cleaning and caring for her siblings. She took those skills to the next chapter of her life and raised 5 children mostly on her own and worked a full-time job outside the home while doing it. As life moved on, she welcomed 19 grandchildren and with them came band concerts, dance recitals, hockey games, graduations, and weddings.  From those grandkids came 39 great grandkids. Grandma officially became known as the baby whisperer.

Pat found joy in welcoming everyone to her home with chocolate chip cookies, donuts, caramel rolls, peanut butter rolls, fudge, and all manner of carbohydrate laden goodies. Thus, Sunday mornings after church became known as carbfest. She loved spending time with her siblings and in-laws traveling to Ireland, Arizona, Montana and the infamous no kids allowed Sisters weeks at Lake cormorant.

Pat once remarked that she felt she had lead a small life. Her impact on this world was anything but small. Her legacy goes far beyond her own children, grandkids and great grand kids. It extended to her siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, and everyone she touched in her 89 years.

Pat had a wise, gentle grace about her and we were all blessed to have her in our lives.

Visitation will be on Sunday, December 15, 2019, from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., followed by the prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Hawley, MN. Visitation will continue on Monday, December 16, 2019, from 9:30 A.M. – 10:30 A.M., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 A.M., in the church. Burial will be at Hawley Cemetery, Hawley, MN, following the service.

Memorials preferred to St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Hawley, MN.