MELVERN, Kan. – RD “Pat” Patterson, 95, departed this life peacefully Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. RD and his twin sister, Norma Dee, were born on the family farm in rural Melvern, Kan., on Dec. 20, 1927, to Verlin and Miriam (Criss) Patterson. His parents and his five siblings preceded him in death.
RD spent most of his life in the Melvern community. He graduated in 1945 from Melvern Rural School and married his high school sweetheart, Norma Nadine Arb, on Aug. 3, 1949, in Lyndon, Kan. She passed away Jan. 29, 2020. They were married for 70 years. To this union, two sons were born, Jim and Bill.
Shortly after they were married, RD and Norma moved to Saxman, Kan. RD worked at a salt mine plant in Lyons, Kan., for two years before they moved back to Melvern. In 1951, RD got drafted into the armed services and was assigned to the Marine Corps and served at Camp Pendleton and 29 Palms, both in California. RD was honorably discharged in December 1953.
In 1955, RD and Norma bought the Melvern Insurance and Real Estate business and renamed it the Patterson Insurance/Real Estate Agency. RD operated the business, which they owned until 1969.