Pat Wohlgemuth, 79, of Great Falls, passed away on Monday, July 25, 2022, after a lengthy illness.
Pat was born on January 15, 1943, to Rial and Edna (Wiprud) Carney of Dutton, MT. Pat was the third of eight children. Naming this third daughter took some time, and she was eventually named after her mother Edna. However, her father started calling her Pat at a young age, and the nickname stuck. Everyone knew better than to call her Edna, as she preferred Pat.
Pat grew up in Dutton, surrounded by her close-knit and large extended family. She was a Cardinal cheerleader and graduated from Dutton High School in 1961. In the summer of 1961, Pat met Gary Wohlgemuth at the café in Dutton. Gary was working in town for the railroad. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married on February 10, 1962. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Seward, AK. In January of 1964, their first daughter was born. Later that spring, they returned home where they raised three daughters and worked on the family ranch in Vaughn, MT. Pat and Gary were married for 37 years until Gary passed away in 1999. After Gary’s death, the ranch was sold, and Pat moved to Great Falls.
On top of being a rancher, Pat had a career outside the home. She was a rural route mail carrier for 33 years; she loved meeting the people on her route and doing everything she could to ensure her patrons got timely mail delivery. This was particularly important to her around Christmas, despite sometimes having to deal with treacherous roads. Pat also worked as a cashier at Shopko for many years where she fostered a great number of friendships. To be fair, Pat never met a stranger she couldn’t talk to.
Pat was an active volunteer including Vets 4 Vets Stand Down, the Vaughn School Board, a Girl Scout leader, a 4-H leader, and wrapping presents for several charities at the mall. Pat also had an active social life where she enjoyed going out dancing and league bowling. She played softball or was on the sidelines keeping score while Gary coached. She was a past member of the Just-A-Mere Pinochle Club, the Vaughn Homemakers Club, and the Helen C. Roberts Chapter OES. Weekends in the fall, Pat could be found cheering on her favorite football teams, the Montana Grizzlies and Denver Broncos. She enjoyed collecting thimbles and was always delighted when her family would bring her a souvenir from their travels.
In 2019, Pat moved to Front Range Assisted Living in Fairfield. There she was surrounded by lifelong friends and received excellent care. She very much enjoyed her time there.
Survivors include three daughters, Amber (Leo) Malinak of Valier, Paula Walter of Great Falls, Heather (CJ) Foley of Missoula; six grandchildren Rachel Malinak, Brianne (Aaron) Pederson, Caitlin Malinak, Jordan (Sam) McGraw, Emily Malinak, and Grant Malinak; five great-grandchildren Kara, Kali, Wyatt, Sawyer, and Lincoln; sisters Dorothy Cobb and Mike Bowles; brothers Jim, Robert, Lon, and Tom; and numerous extended family members.
Pat was proceeded in death by her husband Gary; her parents Rial and Edna Carney; her sister Marcia Spell; her in-laws Joyce and Helen Wohlgemuth, her sister-in-law Gail Ridge, her brother-in-law Lowell Cobb; and her niece Emma Carney.
Visitation is Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 10:30 with funeral services at 11:30 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. For those unable to attend in person, the funeral will be live streamed. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Pat’s name are suggested to The National Organization for Rare Disorders, NORD. rarediseases.org