Patricia Lee Felde

Patricia Lee Felde was born in Ashtabula, Ohio on June 21, 1937. She was a twin to brother Richard Babish, who had the misfortune of being born second, and as a result, was constantly reminded that he was her “little” brother, and she was the older and wiser sister. Her birth made her famous on a local level, because she and her brother were the first set of twins in Ohio ever to be delivered by C-section. Being famous, she experienced a near-miss abduction from her own crib, as her father stopped a man who was trying to kidnap her. That was not her first confrontation with abduction, as she later got into a car with a stranger when she was 10, and this stranger had no intentions of returning her to her home. But she was rescued once again by her father, her brother, and a team of policemen. Obviously, Mom was a highly-desired personality.

Mom claimed that she had her own guardian angel, and declared that he was 7 feet tall, and very powerful. He often stood at the door of her room, and would watch over her at various times in her life. I believe that to be true, as there were so many times that Death tried to take her, yet she was protected, and restored to life on so many occasions. She told the tale of how she was spared from drowning as a small child, and then how she went through the near-death experience after losing a baby, when she floated above her body, and went through a warm, comforting tunnel of light, only to be told that it was not her time. Time after time, Death attempted to claim her, but Life showed up to repossess her. Mom often thought of herself as Charlie the Tuna, a character in a Star-Kist tuna ad, who would be rejected time after time by the beings that lived above, and said that she felt as if something were wrong with her, for heaven was not ready to take her yet. In reality, it was simply not her time to go, and God had more life experiences in store for her. So she lived on, and she strove to live a life of faithfulness and devotion to her God, her church, and her family. I’m not saying she was perfect, but God knows, she tried to follow the tenants of the church and the bible, and she did her best to be the kind of person that Jesus wanted her to be.

In short, Mom did her best to be a servant. She volunteered for Right to Life, an organization that fights for the life of the unborn child, and within that group, she counseled young girls who needed a sympathetic and caring ear. There may be people alive today that she saved by her simple act of listening, loving, counseling, and sharing about God’s gift of life. She taught at Sunday school, which was one of her greatest joys in this world.. She was in PTA, and won an award for her service, which was a proud moment for her. She loved to sing, and took great delight in the fact that she was the soprano that the choir director relied on at the Christmas Eve and Easter service, when he needed that high note to resonate throughout the church walls.

In 1957, Mom married the love of her life just days before her 20th birthday, thereby abandoning any concerns about being an “Old Maid.” She and dad immediately got busy building a family, having their first child just 9 months later. She was in her happy place, being a wife and mother of seven children. She went to every baseball game, swim meet, and choral concert we were in, and she drove us to every sports practice, piano lesson, rehearsal, dental appointment, and doctor appointment that popped up for seven kids. Dinner was on the table every night at 5:45 PM, when Dad got home from work, and she rang the cowbell to alert the neighborhood that it was time for her kids to come home and eat; and every child knew that they had better get home quickly when she rang that bell, or they might show up only to find their pork chop to be missing. Every morning, breakfast was on the kitchen counter, whether it be pancakes, eggs and toast, or simply, cereal with milk. Daily lunches were made for seven, or money was provided for a hot lunch at school. We rarely had new clothes, and acquired most of our wardrobe by way of hand-me-downs, or thrift store finds, but we always had what we needed. Every neighbor kid was welcomed, fed, and accepted into our fold. No one was denied her love and acceptance.

Life offered blessings and challenges, and when the challenges came her way, Mom was stronger than she herself believed. In that strength, there was, at times, rigidity, but her resolve was not forever set in stone. Over the years, she softened, and became more flexible, and realized that so many things were beyond her control, and she needed to let go of the exhausting struggle that came with the illusion of control. The best she could do was to show love and acceptance to those around her, regardless of their shortcomings. In short, she strove to be an example of Christ’s unconditional love for all. In the end, she chose to sacrifice her desires, and even her comfort, to make her family feel cared-for and accepted. She wanted to leave a legacy of sacrifice for the sake of love.

Mom died doing what she loved most - being a mother and grandmother. Her memory was drifting away, and she was frustrated by it, but strove to remember names of loved ones, and facts about them. Again and again, she told stories of her younger years - stories that were deeply ingrained in her memory, and we, her dutiful children listened for the upteenth time, holding our tongues from pronouncing the words, “Yeah, you told me that story already.” Now, I would give so much to hear those stories just one more time, just to see her smile, and feel the joy that she experienced as she shared her memorable accounts.

So, in the end, Death finally caught up with her, and I think her guardian angel was present, to insure that she felt safe and secure in her departure from this world. It’s okay. Now, Mom doesn’t feel like the rejected Charlie at the bottom of the sea. She has been captured, and taken up to the heavens above, much to her delight. I’m sure she is singing with the incredible choir beyond the pearly gates, and celebrating her new life filled with pure joy. She is with her savior, and holding hands with Dad, whom she missed so greatly. Now, she is free from the cares of this world, and the aches and pains of being human. Yes, she is free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last!