Mary Louise Patten, 89, passed away Friday, March 31, 2017 in Boise, Idaho.

She leaves her grandchildren, Eric Lee Patten and Michele Louise Norby; three great grandchildren, Kaylee Elisabeth, Kinsley Rae, and Fiona Louise; and her sister, Georgia Mae Peacock. Mary Louise was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Leo John Patten and their three sons, Floyd Leo, David Lee, and Leo George.

Born on January 29, 1928, to George and Hazel Dunagan, Mary Louise was a lifelong resident of Blythe, California.

In her early years, she had her share of adventures with her siblings, Georgia Mae, Nancy Ann, Ross, and her cousin Skeeter.
Mary Louise met her husband-to-be as a teenager in Blythe. The couple married in 1944, shortly before Leo was deployed for WWII. Their first son, Floyd Leo, was born that same year, and Leo George was born June 28, 1945, while Leo John was away in the Pacific Theater.

Upon Leo's return, the couple took up cattle ranching and shortly thereafter moved into their home past Fourth Avenue near the jagged purple hills that line Highway 95. It was there that their third son, David Lee, was born in 1949.

However, Mary Louise's life was not without deep tragedy. Floyd died as an infant and David was struck and killed by a motor vehicle in 1957 at age 7. In 1996, Leo George died of heart failure while visiting the Patten Ranch. He was 50. Still, through an unparalleled resolve and human spirit, Mary Louise endured.

She was a tireless worker. She spent nearly two decades in the offices of Roadway Freight, while also maintaining the family home, chasing cattle with Leo, and tossing around bales of hay for good measure.

Mary Louise had a passion for animals, particularly dogs and horses. As a young woman, she was a barrel racer, accompanying Leo to rodeos throughout the Southwest where the two often competed. Leo as a steer roper and Mary Louise expertly navigating the cloverleaf pattern of preset barrels.

She also had a thirst for knowledge and stories. She read constantly, including works of fiction, insisted on completing the daily crossword puzzle before noon, and was never without the morning newspaper or periodical.

She was a mother, wife, grandmother, great grandmother, and a friend to all whom she met. Her passion for life was ever-present in her voice when she spoke and by her furrowed brow when she listened. Her graciousness and generosity was infectious; her strength far outweighing her somewhat diminutive 5-foot-2 stature. In every way imaginable, she pioneered being a pioneer woman.

We are all better for having known her.

Visitation will be held Sunday, April 9th from 6-8:00 p.m. at Frye Chapel. Graveside service will be Monday, April 10th at 10:00 a.m. at Palo Verde Cemetery, where she will be buried next to her late husband, Leo.