Nancy Patterson, long-time resident of Fort Scott, age 86, died on Sunday, December 17, 2023, at Horton House in Fort Scott, Kansas. Her death was attributed to Alzheimer’s disease.
Nancy Jo Smith was born on August 1, 1937, in Lawrence, Kansas to Emmett P. and Naomi M. Anderson Smith. She attended Pinckney Grade School, Lawrence Junior High School, and was a 1955 graduate of Lawrence High School. Receiving the Karen Carlton Memorial Nursing Scholarship, Nancy was a 1958 graduate of St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, Kansas City, Missouri.
At the home of her parents, Nancy was married to Jerrold Clifford Patterson on December 13, 1958. They are the parents of five daughters: Sandra Lynn, Sharon Sue, Brenda Kay, Deborah Ann, and Laura Lee.
The family moved from Overland Park, Kansas to Ava, Missouri in January 1971, where they were owner-operators of the Otasco store. On Thanksgiving Day of 1973, the Pattersons moved to Fort Scott. Nancy retired from Mercy Hospital in January, 2000, with 26 years of service, most of which was spent as a surgical nurse. She is a past president of the Mercy Auxiliary. With a passion for genealogy, Nancy is a member of the Old Fort Genealogical Society and has researched not only the families of Anderson, Smith, Reynolds and Patterson, but also numerous Bourbon County families. These are available in the OFGS library.
As a charter member of West Park Church of the Nazarene, Nancy taught adult Sunday School class and was very involved with the Nazarene World Missionary Society. She and Cliff traveled to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, Papaua New Guinea in 1989 to observe first-hand third world medicine. Most recently, Nancy attended the Diamond Community Church in rural Fort Scott.
Following Cliff’s death in early February 2019, Nancy lived at Country Place Senior Assisted Living in Fort Scott. She moved to Horton House on September 2, 2023.
Survivors include: daughters, Sharon McGaughey, Kybruz, CA; Brenda DeKeno (Don), Pea Ridge, AR; Deborah Allen (Tim), Fort Scott, KS; and Laura Bonnell (Dwight), Aztec , NM. Also surviving are twelve grandchildren, Joshua McGaughey (Bethany), Placerville, CA; Joseph Allen (Mallory), Fort Scott, KS; Jessica Borba (Seth), Placerville, CA; Nathaniel McGaughey (Rebekah), Placerville, CA; Dustin DeKeno (Chris), Oklahoma City, OK; Jacob Allen (Sarah), Wichita, KS; Corbin Soliday (Rachel), Lee’s Summit, MO; Sawyer DeKeno, Tulsa, OK; Andrea Soliday, Gardner, KS; Tayler DeKeno, Pea Ridge, AR; Jonathan Allen, Fort Scott, KS; and Caleb Soliday, Topeka, KS. Nancy leaves fourteen great-grandchildren, Abraham Borba, Lela Borba, Maggie Kansas McGaughey, Tayton Allen, Gus McGaughey, Kyler Allen, William Borba, Lily Borba, Avery McGaughey, Joel Soliday, Andrew (“G”) Borba, Diana Allen, Olivia Soliday, and Elijah Allen.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Cliff; her parents; daughter, Sandy (January 2010); and her only sibling, a brother, Robert E. Smith (September 2006).
Rev. Joan Koller will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Friday, December 22nd, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Thursday evening at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to either Cross Power Agape Ministries or Alzheimer’s Association and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be left online at cheneywitt.com.
Nancy’s family would like to note that this obituary was hand- written by Nancy. We are unsure of the date or the circumstances when she wrote it since the hand-written copy included only blanks in many places, but it was important enough to her for her to keep it tucked away in a folder. We want to honor her by publishing it but we certainly believe that she was much too modest in this account of her life.