Services
Obituary
Emma Jean Pate, 93, of Clarion, passed away Sunday, January 20, 2019 at the Clarion Wellness and Rehabilitation Center.
Funeral services for Emma Jean Pate will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Holmes Lutheran Church, 2139 Hancock Avenue in Holmes, with Pastor Rich Taylor officiating. Burial will take place at the Holmes Lutheran Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at the church prior to services on Thursday, beginning at 9:30 AM.
Emma Jean was born October 4, 1925 to Samuel and Lena (Tanner) Metzger in West Bend, Iowa. She attended West Bend High School and graduated from the commercial college in Mankato, Minnesota. She worked for 2 ½ years as a secretary for Thompson Distributing in Algona, Iowa.
On January 19, 1947, Jean was united in marriage to Caroll “Sonny” Pate and they began their life together on a farm in northwest Wright County. Together they raised 3 sons, Mark, Timothy, and John.
Jean was a long time member of the Holmes Lutheran Church and was very active in the Holmes Ladies Circle where she enjoyed all of their activities, especially quilting and sewing days.
Jean loved to garden and took pride in her flowers and vegetables. If she wasn’t tending her garden in the summer, she could be found canning and preserving her produce. She was an avid fan of all of the Iowa college teams, though she favored the Hawkeyes when they played one of the others.
Jean’s family thought her to be a terrific cook. They have many yummy memories of chocolate chip cookies, kringla, butterhorn rolls and beautiful three-layer carrot cakes. Family dinners were always special occasions, set with the best dishes and silverware.
In the fall of 2000, Jean moved to the Meadows Independent Living. There, she made many new friends and enjoyed being involved in all the activities.
Jean is survived by her sons and their families: Mark (Deb) Pate of Overland Park, Kansas and their children Steve (Kristal), Tessa Murray and Grant (Jayna); Tim (Jayne) Pate of Clarion and their sons Keith (Mandi) and Mike (Stephanie); and John (Cheri) Pate of Hutchinson, Minnesota and their son Joshua; along with 11 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
Jean was preceded in death by her loving husband Sonny in 1999, their infant son, Stephen and seven brothers and sisters