Patricia "Pat" Jean Thomsen

Patricia Jean Thomsen, age 69, passed from this earth at her home on April 7, 2026. Pat was born on November 28, 1956, in Hartley, Iowa. She was one of four children of Rod and Janet Thomsen, and she attended Moneta School and eventually Everly Community School, graduating in 1975.

Pat had many friends in high school and loved playing basketball for the Everly Cattlefeeders. She also loved spending time in the Lakes area and working for Lucy and Joe at the Miller’s Bay Drive-In with her dear friend Valerie. After graduation, she attended Ellsworth Community College and held jobs in the Twin Cities prior to moving back to the Everly area to be with her family. She and her dad, Rod, opened the Quik Spot in Everly, and she managed the store for many years before moving up to the Lakes area permanently. She cherished the Lakes, her friends, and being close to her family at home.

Pat showed remarkable dedication to her family, with a special focus on caring for her parents. She took on the role of caregiver during their final years, making it possible for them to remain at home as long as possible and providing steadfast support when they moved to the Hartley Community Center. Her siblings felt truly fortunate that Pat was able to be there for their parents, especially at times when they could not. There was no doubt that it was God’s mission for her.

Her nieces and nephews meant everything to her. She felt fortunate to watch them grow, play sports, and eventually start their own families. She especially adored young children. Pat shared an extraordinary connection with her nephew Charlie; from the moment he was born, their relationship was unique. Saying he was fortunate to receive her love hardly captures how special it truly was.

Pat found joy in warm weather vacations and a good book, but her greatest fulfillment came from caring for others. She was always helping—often tackling a pile of dirty dishes, keeping up with laundry, or quietly tossing out long-expired food from her parents’ refrigerator. Acts of kindness touched her deeply, and she would often be moved to tears when someone did something thoughtful for her. Children brought out her playful and funny side, and she proudly embraced her role as the aunt whose job it was to spoil them with sugar and noisy toys, much to their parents’ chagrin. While Pat did not have children of her own, she was the first to show up for every milestone—birthdays, graduations, athletic events, new jobs, anniversaries, and even heartbreak.

Household pets always seemed to find her, ready to cover her with slobber or bark for attention—much to her comical frustration. You could almost hear her saying, “Quit it!” As all of us move through life’s next chapters, it will be difficult not to receive that phone call, read a funny card, or hear her voice from the sidelines—confidently calling out a “blind umpire” with all the conviction of a seasoned varsity parent.

It’s a struggle to make sense of why she had to be taken from us so soon. At the drop of a hat, she would be there when we needed her. She can’t ever be replaced, and her memory will be kept alive by those who loved her more than she ever knew.

Left to cherish her memory are her brother Terry (Pat) Thomsen of Hartley, IA; brother Dan (Paula) Thomsen of Ankeny, Iowa; and sister Lori (Neill) Johnson of Plymouth, MN. Nieces and nephews: Leah Malmstrom (Lee), Ben Thomsen (Katy), Jake Thomsen (Mollie), Kyle Thomsen (Rachel), Emily Chisholm (Brian), Erin Thomsen, and Charlie Johnson. Great-nieces and nephews: Tyler, Jenna, Beau, Jace, Reece, Julia, Grant, Kaycie, Desiree, Teagan, Zachary, Alex, and Evelyn. Aunts, uncles, many cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley (Rod) Thomsen and Janet Thomsen; grandparents, Ernest and Lucy Bobolz, Fred and Jennie Thomsen; and niece, Hope Johnson.

*In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Pat's name.