Doris Ophelia Patterson

Doris went home to be with the Lord and passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday evening May 13, 2023, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana where she had made her home for the last two years. Doris was born May 02, 1930 to Mittie and Jim Bromlow of Hammon, Oklahoma. Doris was a daughter, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and a great great grandmother. Doris had nine sisters and one brother. She leaves behind four sisters: Lucille (Royce) Fields, Dolly (Johnny) Tanner, Amy (Dewey) Conley, Iva Jim (Don) Horton. Doris was preceeded in death by her mama and daddy, husband Everette Eugene Patterson, son Leonard Harrel Patterson, grandson Travis Robert Rosendahl, granddaughter Daneille Lynn Brakhahn, son-in-law Doug Bucham, son-in-law Wayne Melott, daughter-in-law Sally Patterson, sisters Eva (Virgil) Bell, Florence (Ray)Garmer, Josephine (Frank) Ward, Lily (Lawrence) Edwards, Ruth Opal (Grant) Denton and brother Joy (Bell) Bromlow.

Doris grew up in and around the Canton, Longdale and Cantomic areas of Oklahoma. When Doris was very young, the family lived in a house with a tent roof. When a tornado came through, it took the top off of the house. Doris’ father found her unscathed, sound asleep in her bed while everyone else in the family was in the storm shelter. A few short years later, while working on the family farm, Doris was on top of the potato wagon. The mule pulling the wagon became spooked, threw her off and under the wagon where she was ran over, breaking her nose and damaging internal organs. She cried out to her Daddy telling him to pray for her because she was dying. In her early high school years, her family moved to Idaho and she worked in a potato factory. She spent many years on the family farm pulling cotton, milking cows and churning butter.

In 1948, Doris met her soon to be husband Everette Eugene Patterson on a blind date. They were married on June 20, 1949. From that union, five beautiful children were born: James Everette (Diane, Sally), Patricia Arlene (Ed) Culver, Leonard Harrel, Lena Diana Patterson, and Darel Lee(Angie). Those children gave her 13 grandchildren: Jamy Christopher, Ami An, Amber Dawn, Kristi Lynn, Angela Kay, Cassie May, Travis Len, Daneille Lynn, Michael Wayne, Travis Robert, Robert Eugene, Brandy Lynn, and Justin Wayne; 29 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.

In 1964, Doris received her certificate to perform compression massage. She massaged any and everybody’s feet. She firmly believed she could help a person when they were ill. Doris continued to do massage through her lifetime, even on her deathbed. If she could help someone feel better, that was all that she wanted to do without complaint.

The most important thing to Doris was for HER CHILDREN TO BE HAPPY AND LOVE EACH OTHER. She NEVER complained about anything. Doris loved to sew, from making her children’s clothes, suit jackets, school clothes, rugs and later enjoyed embroidering and making quilts, doing all of this with unbelievable determination while suffering from macular degeneration, slowing losing her eyesight.

On her first trip to Las Vegas, Doris learned how to play the slot machines. She had such a great time that she wore blisters on her hands from pulling the arms of the machines. She truly loved playing the slots.

Celebration of Life Events for Doris are as follows:

June 17, 2023 - 12:00 p.m. at the home of Diana Patterson, 21321 Lake Ponchartrain Dr., Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Covered dishes are requested.

July 15, 2023 -11:00 a.m. at the Old School House Gym,Longdale, Oklahoma.

July 22, 2023 - 2:00 p.m. at the home of Mr. Tim Stratton,2637 Hickory Drive, Grand Junction, Colorado.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gracenorthshore.com for the Patterson family.