Patricia Joy Ugelstad May

I want to welcome and thank everybody for coming to celebrate my mom's life. She always felt unappreciated and unloved, but as she can see today, she was so wrong.

Patricia Joy May passed away January 24th, 2011 at the age of 77.

Patti was born September 1, 1933 in Water Town, South Dakota to Arthur Joy Ugelstad and Evelyn Beatrice Fitzsimmons Ugelstad. The family lived in Water Town South Dakota until they moved to Oregon in 1941 where they settled in Welches.

Patti met Jim May while attending Sandy High School and they were married after he returned from serving in the Navy. They were married on September 27th, 1957.

Patti loved traveling and camping. She also enjoyed bowling and played on several leagues. What was most important to Patti however was her family. She lived for her family. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother. She was the heart of the family, the family's caretaker, always putting everyone else first and making sure their needs were met.

Patti's legacy is her family. Her husband, James May; son, Art May; daughters, Josephine May and Luann May; her brothers, Clair "Sonny" Ugelstad and Jerry Ugelstad; four grandchildren, Jason Larson, Tyffanie May, Alexander Pickett, and Nichole May; and 6 great-grandchildren, Drew Larson, Stephyn May, Dakotah May-Blanton, James Kuykendall, Laci Kuykendall, Emma Kuykendall.

My memories of my mom are so vast, it’s hard to share just one. My fondest memories are of her saying goodnight to my children as she rocked them to sleep and they said goodnight to the moon, the stars, the bugs, the kitties, the puppies, and anything else my children could think they wanted to say goodnight to.

But on a lighter note, I also remember my mom getting so mad at something me or my brother or sister did and chased us around the circle of our home to try to punish us, but by the time she caught us we were laughing so hard that she forgot what she was mad about.

At this time I’d like to welcome anyone and everyone to share any stories and memories they have of my mom and what she meant to you…

Patti’s service was concluded with a message and prayer by Bishop Fritz Etlick, who shared the following…

I didn’t know Patti well, but I do know that she was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter and all of those roles we play in this life.

I know that God told Jeremiah the Prophet that he knew him before he was born. I know that He knew Patty and all of us, too; that we knew each other as well.

I know that Patti had a purpose for being on the Earth at this time, in this place. That as the Apostle Peter said, we are given exceeding great and precious promises. That by these we might be partakers of Devine nature. We learn diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience and so on.

How did Patti do this? Simply by her dedication and service to her family and community. By the roles she played as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter and friend. She learned all of the things she needed to take her into the next part of her journey.

I know that Patti had a great reunion in Heaven with all of those that she loves that have passed before her.

I know that death is not extinction. One might be distraught to think of leaving this world to be no more, but as believers, we can know that there is more. As Moses was told by God, “This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

Patti’s passing is just another part of God’s glory. She is happy and at peace and rest from the cares of this life.

I know she is missed, I know she is loved, but what’s more – so does she.

The following poem was written by Patti's brother, Ted G. and appeared in the folders passed out at her service...

The river to the ocean returns again as rain.

One cycle completed, it’s not hard to explain.

These cycles and seasons, the links that we see,

As spring links to summer, you’re linked to me.

Go up in the mountains and give a great shout,

Ask the question ~ it should be worn out;

Why earth, why oceans? Why forests and seas?

Why children, why loving? Why you and why me?

These questions unanswered and always will be.

Acceptance of life just may be the key.

A rose and an orchid are different, yet same,

Don’t fault the rose, it isn’t to blame.

We’re created so different and yet when we can,

We need to accept this may be God’s plan.

Think of the pain that might go away,

If the world could accept, beginning today.

Don’t fault me or grade me, I’m not on your scale.

Your units of measure are different and so…

Just love and accept we’ve a long way to go.

We’re different, that’s certain and always will be,

And yet we’ve been carved from the very same tree.

Patti Joy May, loving wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, aunt and friend. Forever in our hearts....

A graveside service was held on Thursday, February 3 at 1:00 pm. This poem was read by Jo, followed by a prayer...

"A Time For Remembering"

For everything there is an appointed season,

And a time for everything under Heaven -

A time for sharing, a time for caring,

A time for loving, a time for giving;

A time for remembering.

Patti Joy May, loving wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, aunt and friend. Forever in our hearts....

The flood of Brightwood, Oregon…

Our mom loved telling us stories about her childhood. This is the last memory she shared with us, by text message. Believe it or not she loved to text, even at 77.

My daughter called her one day and she was crying but she said she would be fine and would explain later. They continued to talk some more and they were both laughing when the conversation ended with a “talk to you later, love you!".

The flood of Brightwood in January of 2011 has happened many times over the years, but this time it hit the home where her and her family lived when she was a child. So she shared the story with all of us through a text message the day after the flood took away her old family home.

This is what she shared…

"The house we grew up in we had many memories that went down with the river. Our beloved piano, Teddy's high chair that was able to set down into a rocking chair, it was an antique I think. Two linens and my father’s army uniforms that I was supposed to have. After the forest service was done with it, it was a home for a family of rats. After a while the forest service had to burn it down, and even the rats had to move out. The piano was in a summer home next door to the big log house we lived at in Brightwood, before the one I just told you about. The inside of the piano had become home to a family of mice that had eaten all the felt. So after Bill, Teddy's dad, our step dad, took the keyboard off and mom replaced the felt, then her and Bill removed all the mice from around the house. Mom sat down and played nearly every song she knew and after Sonny started playing the guitar they played together and that’s where he learned the old songs. This is just some of our history as I remember. The big house is the house that Bill hung a big rope on a big tree branch and we played on it for hours. It was our "Nintendo", haha. We even jumped off the garage, and we are still alive. We had a tire on a broomstick and we were able to jump into the tire and hold on for dear life. Even mom and Bill rode on it together. What fun to watch them and to see how happy they were. Our friends in walking distance even played on it, and if their parents knew what they did at our house they could have never come back over. Hope you enjoyed this story. :-) Love you, mom."