Teresa Sue Pattie

Teresa Sue (Mason) Pattie was born on November 2, 1951, in Springfield, Colorado, the 4th of seven children of Ora Columbus and Florence Verdean (Combs) Mason. She passed into her heavenly home on August 16, 2021, at UC Health Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs after a short illness. She was 69 years and 9 months old.

Teresa loved beautiful flowers. She loved growing them and sharing them. She had a true green thumb. For many years, she gave Mom bedding plants every Spring and Mother’s Day. Mom and Dad used to tell of Teresa’s first attempt at growing something. They discovered she had “planted” beans up her nose, when the beans started sprouting. Over the years, she enjoyed planting flowers with her grandchildren and more recently her great-grandchildren.

Like her older brother and sister, Teresa had her tonsils out when she was about five years old. Mom left Teresa asleep in the hospital room for a little bit. When she returned Teresa wasn’t in her bed – which scared Mom, until she found Teresa hiding in a corner of the room.

Teresa didn’t get to go to kindergarten but started first grade when she was only 5 years old, so she was usually one of the youngest in her class. Teresa attended school in Springfield, CO and graduated with the class of 1969.

When they lived in the country, Kathryn remembers her and Teresa playing with gourds, making mud pies, and feeding and playing with the animals, especially the rabbits. Sheila, Teresa, and Kathryn learned to play jacks and would have tournaments among the three of them. Sheila being the oldest, had been playing longer and usually won, but as time went on, Teresa and Kathryn started getting some wins in, too.

The three girls sometimes would have to go out to the pasture and bring in the cows. One time, the 3 girls started out to bring in the cows and they came to the dry creek bed. Of course, they got sand in their shoes, so they stopped to empty them. Suddenly, they heard the unmistakable sound of a rattler. The girls took off running back to the house. When Dad asked what was wrong, out of breath, all the girls could say was “rattler”. They hoped Dad would at least go back with them to get the cows, but all he said was “That rattler was probably as scared as you were and he’s long gone by now, so go get those cows in”. That time, Teresa was the bravest of us all, and led the 3 of us right back out to the pasture.

Teresa exhibited that kind of bravery many times throughout her life, and marched right back out there, to climb the next mountain.

Brother Burrell recalls when having a meal as a family at the kitchen table, sometimes Teresa would pass out and start sliding out of her chair and on to the floor. Later, we figured out that she was probably having low blood sugars. It became the job of the siblings who sat on each side of Teresa to grab her arm and pull her up if she started sliding out of her chair. They would have to hold her up until mom could grab a cold, wet wash cloth and slap it on her forehead to get her to come to. We sometimes would get a glass of cold water and dip our hand in and then flip water on her face. All this time, the rest of us kept on eating. Teresa would wake up and start eating again. It was just the way it was.

Her parents taught her about Jesus and the entire family attended church at the Pritchett Church of God until 1957 when they moved and started attending the Springfield Church of God. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at a young age. She turned to him daily for comfort, strength, guidance and always with a grateful heart.

Teresa had many great memories, growing up, that revolved around her church family and church activities. The Mason family loved singing and would often sing specials at church. Teresa had a beautiful and strong alto voice and she loved to sing. She liked many different types of music. Her husband, Bill, says she would often have music playing when he came home from work. Many times, it was classical music. One of her favorite singers was the Italian Tenor, Andrea Bocelli, who she felt had a beautiful voice.

Often some of the Springfield Church of God youth would go to the Pleasant Heights Church which is between Springfield and Lamar. There Teresa made lifetime friends, in Sharon and Virginia Rife.

In June of 1967, the Mason family adopted a new little sister, Marian Ruth, who was 13 months old. Since Mom and Dad both worked, Sheila and Teresa both took care of Marian during the summers of 1967 and 1968.

After graduating from Springfield High School in May of 1969, that fall Teresa entered the Cosmetology Program at Lamar Community College in Lamar, CO, following in the footsteps of her mother. While she was attending college, she was dating a young man from Walsh, Ronald “Ronnie” Wills. Ronnie’s Mom, Margaret Wills, said they never knew from week to week, during those nine months, what color of hair or what hairdo Teresa would come home with. Burrell said Teresa took after Mom during that time and had “high” hair. (Otherwise known as a “beehive” hairdo.) Teresa finished the program successfully and graduated in May of 1970 and soon passed her state exams to become a licensed Beautician.

On June 7, 1970, Teresa and Ronnie were married. Ronnie and Teresa started their married life in Walsh, where Teresa put her new skills as a Beautician to use. The following year, Ronnie and Teresa were blessed with their first daughter, LeAnn Marie, born June 25, 1971. She was a beautiful little red head, like her Momma. Two years later, on July 28, 1973, they were blessed with another baby girl, Amy Renae, a beautiful little blond, like her Daddy. The family eventually moved to Springfield where Teresa worked in “Florence’s Beauty Shop”, with her mom.

Ronnie and Teresa divorced and started lives separately, keeping the girls as their priority. Separately, but together, they were loving parents and raised two remarkable, loving and caring women.

Teresa went back to college, taking evening classes in Springfield, from Lamar Community College, alongside brother Burrell, sister Rochelle, sister Marian and brother-in-law Vernon. They all earned an Associates of Arts Degree with Emphasis in Business--except Rochelle, who met and married Graeme Anderson, an Aussie, and became an “permanent” exchange student.

Teresa began dating Charles William “Bill” Pattie. Bill first asked Teresa out when he went to her for a haircut, at her mom’s beauty shop. She agreed to go out with him, and the romance blossomed. On July 2, 1987, Bill and Teresa were married in Springfield, CO. They had been married 34 years at the time of her passing. When Bill and Teresa married, Teresa gained two more beautiful daughters, Niesha and (Cheryl) Tienne, and Bill, likewise, gained two more beautiful daughters in LeAnn and Amy.

In addition to her beautician work, Teresa also drove a school bus for Springfield School District and ran the Edler route. Bill also worked for the Springfield School District as the Band Instructor.

Bill and Teresa decided to move to Holly, CO. Teresa began work as a Certified Nurse Aid at Holly Nursing Care Center. She later attended Lamar Community College, for the 3rd time, as part of their first LPN nursing program. She completed the program and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. After working at Holly Nursing Care Center for two years, she began attending the RN Program at Otero Junior College, in La Junta, CO, commuting back and forth between Holly and La Junta.

While Teresa was attending RN school, Dad was ill and in various hospitals. When Teresa went to the hospital to spend time with him, she would take her books with her and study while sitting with him. Sometimes she would be so exhausted that she would lay down and use her books as a pillow. She firmly believed that God helped her learn from her books as she was sleeping. She said somehow, she would wake up and know what she needed to know. That belief showed how strongly she believed in her Lord and Savior leading her and taking care of her, no matter what the circumstances.

After becoming an RN, she worked a short time at Holly Nursing Care Center. She and Bill then moved to Rocky Ford, CO, where she worked for Home Health. She then worked for the Fowler Nursing Home, followed by the nursing home in Las Animas. She then started a long career at La Junta Nursing Care Center. She started working there as a floor nurse, eventually becoming the MDS Coordinator, which entailed more schooling and training. She continued in this position until her retirement in December 2019.

She was a very caring and loving person and that came across into her work as a nurse. She loved her work, taking care of and helping others and she was loved by them in return. Teresa’s daughter Amy, as well as granddaughters Morgan and Erica, have followed in Teresa’s footsteps into nursing careers. Erica now utilizes her Certified Nurse Aide training and skills in her work as a paraprofessional.

Along the way, Teresa’s interests varied. She was an avid bowler and enjoyed bowling on leagues two nights per week. She especially enjoyed summer bowling tournaments. She and Bill teamed up with special friends, Mark and Georgia Thompson, for the tournaments as well as attending 15 National Tournaments in different parts of the country.

In the late summer and fall Teresa would usually get fresh fruits and vegetable and start canning and freezing them in various ways. She would make jelly and always give some to her family to enjoy, also. Amy says her mom taught her to make jelly and salsa.

Teresa traveled to Australia twice, to visit her sister Rochelle and family. Once was in the fall of 1995, with her sister, Sheila, and their mom, Florence. They enjoyed making mud (adobe) bricks with Rochelle and family. The bricks were used to build a craft room onto their garage. Rochelle said that the three of them were so good at pressing mud bricks that she was worn out trying to keep up with them with the mix. By the way, Momma (Florence) remained looking absolutely perfect. She wore gloves so even her hands didn’t get dirty.

Rochelle took them whale watching and the ladies enjoyed it immensely, despite most of the other passengers getting seasick. There were people leaning over the side of the boat, laying down on the boat, in various stages of sea sickness. On that trip, Teresa put on her “brave coat” again and tried parasailing with Sarah--and thoroughly enjoyed it.

In 2008, Teresa planned a second trip to Australia with Bill, mom, and sister Kathryn and husband Vernon, to attend Sarah’s wedding. Unfortunately, Teresa and Bill had to postpone their trip for a while, as Teresa fell and broke her leg not long before they had planned on leaving. They made the trip the following year, thoroughly enjoying both family and the sights, which included touring the Sidney Opera House.

As the years came and went, Teresa’s family began to grow, and grow, and grow. Both of her girls got married and began their own families. LeAnn married Mike Sharpe in 1989 and they added four beautiful children, three boys and one girl, to the family. Amy married Lynn Williams in 1993, and they added two more beautiful girls to the family. Teresa’s two beautiful stepdaughters (Bill’s girls) also grew up and ventured out into the world to make their own way. Amy & Lynn divorced in June of 2000. In October of that same year, Lynn was tragically killed in a car wreck. Teresa and Bill were right there to help the young mother with her girls. Life went on and Amy added another boy to the ever-expanding family. By 2003, Amy was being wooed by a great guy, Norman Schrepel. Apparently, it worked, as Norman and Amy have been together since then. Norman brought four additional children, two girls and two boys (and their families) into the mix.

Teresa played in the Rocky Ford Presbyterian Church Hand Bell Choir. She enjoyed doing it and the group was very good. Of course, they did have a great director in Bill.

In the last few years Teresa gladly babysat for Morgan’s son Leland. The two of them enjoyed being together and became good buddies. They did a lot of things together. Teresa said that Leland would practice doctor on her and use the stethoscope to listen to her heart and check her all out before giving her a clean bill of health. Amy said one time Leland stuck clear pieces of duoderm, which is like medical tape for wounds, all over Teresa wherever he felt she needed it, to get her well. He will truly miss his grandma.

There is one new grandbaby and two new great grandbabies on the way. Teresa was so looking forward to the new additions to the family. We firmly believe that in heaven, Teresa has already met, held and loved on those babies.

Teresa loved her dogs and would often sit in her chair with them both on her lap. The dogs were even on her lap while she was watching her Denver Broncos—part of the time, anyway. Bill said if he wasn’t in the room, he could tell how the Broncos were doing just by how Teresa was yelling or clapping and whether the dogs were on her lap.

In July of this year, Teresa contracted COVID-19. She fought it for well over a month, and believed her Lord and Savior would heal her, whether on earth or in heaven. On Monday, August 16, 2021, Jesus took her hand and they walked hand in hand into heaven.

Teresa was preceded in death by her parents, Ora C. and Florence V. (Combs) Mason; a brother, Benny Ray Mason; sister, Sheila Ann (Mason) Emick; niece Becky Jo (Ingle) Shepherd; brother-in-law, John W. Emick; sister-in-law, (Evelyn) Colleen (Hollenback) Mason.

Teresa is survived by her loving husband, Charles William (Bill) Pattie, of the home, Rocky

Ford, CO; two daughters, LeAnn (Mike) Sharpe and Amy Williams (Norman) Schrepel, all of Walsh, CO; two step-daughters, Sheryl (Tienne) (Seth) Carlin, Greenwood, MO and Niesha (Kyle) Goans, Indianapolis, IN; grandchildren: Cody Sharpe, Ethan (Bailey) Sharpe, Tyler (Makayla) Sharpe, Mikayla Sharpe, Morgan (Brandon) Rains, Erica Williams (Theodore & Melissa Sandoval), Chad Williams; great-grandchildren, Leland Rains, Terrance Sandoval, and Kynsleigh Sharpe; step-grandchildren, Hemi and Angus Carlin, Monica (Brian) Vance, Jacob (Amanda) Schrepel, Jesse (Jessica) Schrepel, Marissa (Brendan) Green; step great-grandchildren, Oaklee Vestal, JR, Tatiana, Trinity, and Tori Sandoval, Ben, Casey, David, and Eli Vance, Wyatt, Wade, and Waycee Schrepel, Jason Schrepel.

She is also survived by: one brother, Burrell Mason, Springfield, CO; three sisters, Kathryn (Vernon) Close, Springfield, CO; Rochelle (Graeme) Anderson, Maidenwell, Queensland, Australia; Marian (Ruben) Martinez, Colorado Springs, CO.

Also surviving are an aunt, Mary Millican, Ft. Collins, CO; three uncles, Curtis Mason, Guymon, OK; Melvin (Carol) Combs and Wesley (Colleen) Combs, both of Pueblo, CO.

Also surviving are numerous, nieces, nephew, cousins, and friends.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made in Teresa’s name to: Springfield Church of God, 900 Tipton St., Springfield, CO 81073 or the Lamar Community College Nursing Program, 2401 S. Main St., Lamar, CO. 81052.