PATRICIA A. MILEFCHIK

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 18, 2021 at Holy Trinity Church. Burial will follow at Corpus Christi Cemetery. A visitation will be 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday at Laufersweiler Funeral Home. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Patricia was born at Mercy Hospital, Fort Dodge, Iowa on December 2, 1939 to Thomas and Eloise Mallinger. She grew up on a farm seven miles east of Fort Dodge. Pat graduated from St. Edmond Catholic school in 1957 and furthered her education at Iowa Central Community College, obtaining an AA degree in Teacher Education in 1959, Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Education from Drake University in 1968 and Master of Science and Education, Supervision in Curriculum and Instruction in 1986. She also did post-graduate work at Drake, UNI, U of I, ISU, Marycrest and Morningside. Pat taught at Holy Rosary school for two years, followed by 38 years in the Fort Dodge public school system where she retired in June of 2000. She was a member of Holy Trinity Parish for 61 years where she also volunteered as a server for funeral dinners. Pat was a member of Friends of the Public Library, past President and co-manager of the bookstore there.

Pat was united in marriage to Dennis Milefchik at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Fort Dodge, Iowa, on June 27, 1959. Dennis and Pat became the parents of three children, William (Bill), Angela and Joel. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Milefchik of Fort Dodge; children Angela Mascharka (Mark) of Roscoe, Illinois and Joel Milefchik (Sharon) of Iowa City, Iowa; grandchildren Luke, Taylor, Emily, and Ashley and siblings Mike Mallinger, Marylin Garris, Diane Easley, Sheila O’Hern and Mark Mallinger. She was preceded in death by her parents, son Bill, sister Helen Arndorfer, and brother-in-law Bob Easley.

Pat very much enjoyed reading books, but her greatest joy was spending time with her family. She and Dennis traveled to several other countries after retirement. The most memorable trips were with the whole family that included a Caribbean cruise, two-week tour of Great Britain and a cruise on the St. Laurence River Seaway.

Her beautiful smile, jovial laugh, warm conversations and the love she gave to many will be forever greatly missed by all. Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.