A service will be held on Saturday April 27 at 11:00 at Esperanza Lutheran Church 2601 E Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee AZ. Pat's family will scatter her ashes alongside her husband's on their property in South Dakota later this summer.
If you'd like to make a donation in Pat's name here are some of the charities that she herself supported:
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging www.cfcausa.org
Doctors without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Catholic Relief Services www.catholicrelief.org
Patricia (Pat) was born in Starbuck, Minnesota on January 12, 1928 to Rosa and Andrew Sanvik. She graduated from Starbuck High School and received a bachelor degree in home economics with a minor in art from St Catherine's College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Pat taught home economics in Wheaton MN where she met and married Selmer Kittelson in 1952. In 1960, Selmer packed all their belongings in a pickup truck, put Pat and their four children (ages 4 and under) on the train, and moved to California. They lived in Claremont, California for 30 years raising five children: John, Cathy, Mary, Paul and Karen. Selmer taught Junior HIgh School science and they spent summers at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota where Selmer worked as a seasonal park ranger. Patricia taught English as a second language with her friend Liz Josslyn in Pomona, California. Together they helped many people gain citizenship and made many friends from all around the world. Pat and Selmer moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1990 so they could enjoy their four grandchildren during the winter and continue to spend the summers in Custer South Dakota. A few years after Selmer's death in 2009, Pat moved to San Luis Obispo, California to be close to her daughter Mary and her husband Kevin Cooper. She died after a short battle with pneumonia. Pat was blessed to enjoy a full, happy life with wonderful friends and family. She is survived by two sons: John (Pat Jr.) Kittelson, Denver, CO; Paul Kittelson (Carter Ernst) Houston, TX; and three daughters: Cathy (Sid) Bacon, Phoenix, AZ; Mary (Kevin) Cooper, San Luis Obispo, CA and Karen Kittelson, Tucson, AZ; as well as four grandchildren: Andy (Kate) Kittelson, Denver, CO; Christian Kittelson, Seattle, WA; Laura Bacon, Phoenix, AZ and Dan (Liz) Bacon, San Diego, CA.
