Patricia Steffen

Central Wisconsin lost a little woman with a big heart on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 when Patricia Steffen, 86, passed away at a place she dedicated a good percentage of her life caring for others, Wausau’s Aspirus Hospital.

Patricia Ann was born September 9, 1932 in the dairy farm community of Halder, Wisconsin as the very first of eight children of the late Anthony and Theresa (Baumann) Schedlo. 

Sandwiched between chores on the farm, Patricia’s initial four-years of education occurred inside a little one-room multi-grade schoolhouse in the Town of Emmet followed by a more spacious St. Robert’s Middle School in Halder. Pat proudly graduated as part of Mosinee High School’s class of 1950 before venturing out to live on her own in the nearby “big city” of Wausau.

It was at Employers Mutual where Pat became fast friends with co-worker Lauretta Steffen and while the two were out for a night of bowling, the young bespectacled office secretary met Lauretta’s brother Gerald who just happened to be back home on leave from the United States Marine Corps in Oceanside, California. Following a 2000+ mile letter writing romance, the two were married on September 1, 1954 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Halder and immediately started a family in Wausau. 

New mom Pat was a natural with newborns and soon found her calling as a nursing assistant in the maternity wards of St. Mary’s, Memorial and then Aspirus Hospital for a career that — as a Daily Herald headline touted in 2009 — spanned over 50 years and more than 25,000 babies.

Pat was a member of the Parish Council of Catholic Women and involved with many St. James/Church of the Resurrection activities, most notably their soup kitchen.  

In addition to vacations in England and Ireland, Pat also appreciated her annual bus trip adventures she shared with friends to experience various cities, sites and landmarks across this country. Closer to home, she was always fond of spending time with family up-North at the lake house in Minocqua.

Pat easily progressed from a loving mom of five to an exceptional grandmother and great-grandmother establishing a special family tradition of sewing unique baby blankets for each new addition to her family tree. 

Pat was part of a multi-decades long cribbage club, an avid reader, intense scrapbooker, and a dedicated Wisconsin sports fan which certainly always included her Green Bay Packers.

Survivors include her children, Gerald Steffen Jr., Palm Springs, CA, Leigh (Rick) Strassman, Maplewood, MN, Michael (Mary) Steffen, Wausau, Patrick (Renee) Steffen, New Richmond and Kathryn (Tim) Ball, Stillwater, MN; grandchildren, Jacob and Kate Strassman, Amy (Jon) Danielson, Eric (Ashley) Steffen, Michelle (Nick) Sabatke, Andrew and Sarah Steffen, Sydney, Cecilia and Sadie Ball; great-grandchildren, Evan and Claire Danielson, Sawyer Steffen and Garrett Sabatke; siblings, Margaret (Claude) Buchburger, Sister Antona Schedlo, Roman Schedlo, Lorraine (Don) Imhoff and Sylvester Schedlo; brothers-in-law, David (Audrey) Steffen and Gordon Wagner.

Aside from her parents and husband Gerald (on January 9, 2011), Patricia was preceded in death by sisters, Marion Chegash and Nancy Schedlo.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Wausau. Rev. Msgr. Mark Pierce will preside. Visitation will be Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services all at the church.

Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 Sixth St., Wausau, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com