Kathryn Patricia "Patty" (Williamson) Birge was born on January 28, 1921 to George Williamson and Hazel "Maude" (Schefnecker) Williamson, the second of three children born into a large warm, Catholic family in Detroit, MI.
Patsy spent her childhood surrounded by her surviving grandparents, Mrs. Catherine"Kitty" O'Haley Schefnecker Lynch, Grandpa and Grandma Schefnecker of Saginaw, her two maternal aunts Dr. Bernadine Schefnecker and Miss Gertrude Schefnecker of Detroit, her older sister Mary Jane and little brother Jack. A quirky little girl with a headful of ringlets, she developed a lifelong love for animals, friendship, theater, dance and the stage very early on in life.
Her aunt Bernadine sent her nieces to private school in Adrian, MI for junior and senior high, a defining moment for both young women. The friendships she made at the all-girls Catholic school she kept throughout her nine decades of life. Although Patsy did not continue her formal education, she returned to help her mother, aunts, and grandmother in Detroit, working at the local Catholic parish, acting in local theater, doing the occasional print modeling, selling tickets at the train station and working for Pan-Am airlines to help pay the bills. When her first nephew arrived in 1942, she discovered the lifelong passion of being an aunt.
In January 1946, she met a witty, tall, dark and handsome engineer who found her constant gap tooth smile, Irish laugh and curly hair intriguing. Nine months later she married Rich Birge Jr. and moved to a very new frontier in North Platte, NE. Although she never could get the Detroit of her youth out of her blood, she made her life in North Platte a full and productive one. She made close friends with the women at St. Patrick's church and they became a significant creative fundraising group. She also had five-decade long friendships with the families of West Circle Drive, including the creation of the infamous 4th of July parade. After she and Rich raised their two sons, John and Tom, as well as a tribe of boxer dogs, she was able to get more involved in local theater, eventually spearheading, virtually full-time, the volunteers remodeling the old North Platte Fox Theater and serving as President of the Playhouse for most of 30 years. The "Patty Birge Room" still stands in her honor at the Theater.
With the birth of her first grandchild in 1979, she began yet another love-affair, that of being a grandmother. Blessed with four grandchildren each two years apart, Camp Patsy traveled with lots of food and always had new stories to tell. Summers were full of slip n slide, food, freebee trips to the mall, breakfast on the porch, food, incredible parties, day trips, funny anecdotes and yet more food. Her home was always open to the family's friends, random animals, bosses and in-laws. There was always a fresh supply of chocolate chip cookies, which she readily handed out to friends as "thank you's". She was blessed to see two of her grandchildren marry and four great-grandchildren be born. She can now join her husband of 51 years in heaven.
Patricia Williamson Birge passed away Tuesday October 14, 2014 at Brookstone Meadows in Omaha, NE after a brief illness at the age of 93. She was preceded in death by her husband Rich; her parents; sister Mary Jane; and brother Jack. She is survived by two sons, John (Debbie) of Omaha, NE and Tom (Suzie) of Denver, CO; four grandchildren, Justin (Nicole) Birge, Alexis (Matthew) Boulos, all of Omaha, Katerina Birge of Denver, CO and Lauren Birge of Salt Lake City. Four great-grandchildren, Dillon and Claire Birge, as well Niko and Stella Boulos all of Omaha also survive her. Beloved nieces and nephews Patrick (Pam) Currier, of Spokane, WA; Linda Mabbs, of Potomac, MD, Barbara (Dan) Robinson of Ellsworth Pond, NH and Scott and Jay Williamson of Phoenix AZ; grand nieces and nephews Chris (Mike) Tinder of Tacoma, WA, Anne Currier, of Spokane, WA, Matthew (Nevada) Clark of Brooklyn, NY, and Angela Williamson Doncouse of Lubbock, TX all survive her; as well as numerous great grand nieces and nephews.
May her memory be eternal.
Memorials are suggested to the North Platte Community Playhouse or Holy Spirit Catholic Church and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Christian Wake Services will be 7:00 p.m. Friday October 17, 2014 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday October 18, 2014 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with Reverend Michael Pampara as Celebrant. Burial will follow at the North Platte Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Friday at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.
Written by: Katerina Birge