"Patsy" Patricia Ruth Birdzell Romadka Obituary (1934 - 2020)

The Life of Patricia Ruth (Birdzell) Romadka ----funeral 7.23.20 INTRODUCTION--We see a picture of what our life might look like. However with life's twists and turns our life doesn't always end up as we imagined. Mother still had so much life to live and her life lives on... Mother recently said, "You know I need to get busy and write my life story." This kept her motivated in the last few years when she was very ill---She still had the life she had imagined to live! I'm not sure you can ever describe, how strong and resilient Patsy was. Her greatest treasure lied in her children. She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren! She sacrificed always and would and did everything she could do for them throughout her life. Mother learned from her angel parents, Mary and Spike Birdzell. She loved being with family, brothers and sisters, aunts, cousins, as well as extended family. She felt a closeness with all the family. Her children would describe her as loving, strong, resilient, courageous, vibrant, honest, dignified, gracious, admired, remarkable, true, an unmatched humor and a loyal friend to many. She was talented in so many ways; piano, cooking, leading, guiding and always admired for her beauty inside and out, compassion and kindness. Her granddaughter Sarah would say she was--feisty and sassy. Sarah proudly inherited those traits from her Nana! Patsy had a great sense of humor. She was funny, so witty, a veracious reader, and she loved scary movies! Mother was born: September 6, 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Robert Melvin Birdzell and Mary Monsen Birdzell. She was the oldest of three children. Her siblings were Michael Birdzell and Mary Lou (Birdzell) Ray. Mother was baptized and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and her faith brought her great comfort in knowing that one day she would live with and be with her family for all eternity. Patsy's parents lived in Salt Lake when she was born and moved to Wendover, Utah when she was young. Her father, Spike, where she inherited her entrepreneurial spirit worked with the oil company then opened a restaurant as well as owned and rented cabins. He also worked with the soldiers on the army base in Wendover. Mother worked and helped in all these endeavors. Mother had lots of great memories of dinners, parties and fun activities in Wendover. I believe that is where she learned to be such a great hostess. She learned to cook from her father as she worked in her fathers restaurant. She loved exploring the caves around Wendover, driving on the salt flats, horseback riding, being with lots of cousins, going to visit Salt Lake City and Hotel Utah. Her mother's sisters were like second mothers to her. Patsy, attended elementary school in Wendover, Utah through 8th grade. Because school was only offered through 8th grade in Wendover she had to move to Mt Pleasant, Utah for 9th grade. She always felt sad about needing to leave her family. In Mt Pleasant, she lived with her mother's sister, Aunt Olive. For 10th through 12th grade mother moved to Grantsville, Utah and lived with the McCoy Johnson Family. There she became life long friends with Betty Lou Johnson and Barbara Cole who she lived with (shared a bedroom with) at the Johnsons' home. In 10th grade she met and became friends with Arlene Hallady. They met when they played alto sax together in band. She was very active in school. Her sophomore year she was in the girl's marching band, 'G-Whiz' and performed at all of the ball games. She was also on the yearbook staff. In 11th grade---Mother was in the school play, '17th Summer', She and Barbara Cole had leading roles. The play was a smashing hit! They took the whole cast to Wendover and performed there. They stayed over night and Pasty's parents, Mom and Gramp or Mary and Spike, hosted a big dinner for the entire cast and crew. Patsy's father, Spike cooked the dinner! Another smashing hit! Patsy also belonged to the traveling assembly and went to other schools and performed skits, music and had so much enthusiasm and school spirit! She was on the school paper staff and continued playing the sax for G-Whiz. In 12th grade---Mother was the student body vice president of Grantsville High School, as well as on student council, the paper staff and the committee for the Senior Hop-Christmas Dance, and the Raveling Assembly Mother attended the University of Utah for one year and met many more dear friends. She played a little tennis while she was there. Mother went on a summer trip to Paris and Europe with Billy Ann, her cousin and her other friends. She loved this experience and would always tell us how remember how much fun it was. Patsy married Brent Hill, from Wells, Nevada. They met when her parents moved to Wells from Wendover. Brent and Patsy had four children; Jill, Ronnie , Liz and Heather. They lived in Wells and then moved to Idaho for Brent's job with the oil company. When her marriage with Brent ended, earlier than she had hoped, Patsy was left to raise her four children on her own. She was surrounded by family and friends to help her with her young family but she took on the responsibility and went back to work to provide--she worked at the bank in Wells then nights in Elko, Nevada at the Stockmans'. She would drive back and forth 60 miles each way, every day, so she could be with her children during the day. Her mother and father helped her and also sacrificed. Patsy moved into the Four Way motel and homes in Wells, Nevada with her parents, for about 8 years. During that time, in 1963, she took her young family to live in Elko for a year to be closer to work. There she met La Rue, who became a life long friend. They were both single mothers raising young families. Mother had a few car accidents. One of the accidents was very serious and nearly took her life. The doctors did not believe she would survive and she struggled through a long recovery. Her will to survive and be with her children was strong and she persevered! That was her nature. Patsy's entrepreneurial spirit came alive when she and her father opened 'The Pink Elephant Drive Inn' in Wells. I remember the delicious pickles in a big bin, we could have them whenever we wished! In 1968 Patsy spent the summer working in Madison, Wisconsin, to see if she liked the Midwest. She had a met her future husband. He wanted her to move there but she wanted to make sure she liked the area. She enjoyed Madison and the Midwest and decided to move there. She started her new life by moving to Anaheim, California Where we lived with, her sister Mary Lou and her husband Clarence and their family for about eight weeks. In the fall of 1968 mother took a giant leap, a new journey began and we moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin. For that winter, we rented a 'winterized' summer cottage on Lake Kegonza! Mother worked at the Carpet Store in Madison. She married John Romadka (Buck) and we moved to Monona, Wisconsin a suburb of Madison in 1969. We lived in Monona until 1977 when the family moved to a new beautiful home in Middleton, Wisconsin which mother loved. Mother enjoyed traveling. She would accompany Buck on business trips throughout the country. She also always made visits to see family in Nevada and Utah. She and Buck were fond of vacationing in Mexico and Florida and bought a second home in Fort Meyers, Florida, which they visited often. They also entertained often. Mother was always the perfect and gracious hostess. She was a masterful chef and her delicious dishes always received rave reviews! Patsy also started her Specialty Advertising Business during her time in Madison and was on the executive board of the Madison Advertising Association. Mother and Buck divorced in 1979. She moved to a new location in Madison and continued her Specialty Advertising business. She decided to pursue new opportunities and moved back to the west where her heart always lied. She began a new venture with her son Ron. She made up for lost time, when she was away from family. Mother, in her bronco attended every funeral, wedding and graduation of her extended family! And she visited and rekindled relationships with many life long friends along the way. A highlight of her new adventure was when she traveled to London with her cousin Lorraine. This was a very memorable trip for her. And she loved the opportunity. Patsy, started her new venture, Action Video in Winnemucca, Nevada. She loved having her own store and enjoyed sharing and watching movies with all of her grandchildren, children and friends. Mother's health began became an issue for her. Although she was always strong, she was always tired and had shortness of breath. In 1995 mother had open heart surgery for a congenital hole in her heart. She went back to Winnemucca and Ron and Vicki, her son and daughter in law, took care of after her surgery and she recovered well. The surgery however took a toll on her body and health. Many health complications ensued. The first massive stroke came in 2006. She survived and underwent intensive therapy. She made almost a complete recovery and lived in Reno, Nevada near her daughters, Liz and Heather for almost a year. The second massive stroke, which hit in 2011, was debilitating. She lost most of her vision except for a quadrant in each of her eyes and sadly had to give up her love of reading. This stroke was life changing for our independent, spirited mother! Yet she continued to work hard in therapy a persevered once more. During this time she lived with her daughter Heather in Reno, Nevada and Jill in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was able to spend time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. This was a silver lining to all that she had to overcome with her illnesses. She suffered many mini strokes and a heart attack in between the strokes and suffered many other health issues as well from complications of the heart surgery. When mother required additional health care she moved to Park Place Assisted Living in Nampa, Idaho, near her son Ron and daughter in law Vicki. She would later call this home. The illnesses mother faced took her life when she passed from this world, surrounded by her children on July 15, 2020. Mother had dear friends wherever life took her. She cherished her family, especially her children, grand and great grand children. She loved her children and would do anything for them, and did. In fact she sacrificed and dedicated her life to helping, supporting and loving them. Mother served in many capacities in her church, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in her community, in business and in her family throughout her life. She always exhibited unconditional love and sacrifice. To know our mother, Patsy was to love her. She was a genuine individual and a loving mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She will be dearly missed. She has touched so many lives. Her beautiful gifts and talents live on in her posterity as well as the many lives she touched along her mortal journey. She will always live in our hearts and memories and has now found peace and comfort with her Father in Heaven. Patsy was gifted, talented and smart. She enjoyed traveling, Career, faith illnesses, To know Patsy/Mother was to love her. She was a genuine individual and a loving friend, daughter, sister, mother and grandmother and great grandmother. She will be dearly missed. She has touched many lives. Her beautiful gifts and talents live on in her posterity as well as all of the lives she touched along her mortal journey. She will always live in my heart and memories and has now found peace and comfort with her Father in Heaven. OBITUARY: Patricia Ruth (Birdzell) Romadka died (passed from this life) on July 15, 2020. She was the oldest of three children and was born September 6, 1934 in Mt Pleasant, Utah to Robert Melvin Birdzell and Mary Monsen Birdzell. Patsy grew up in Wendover and Grantsville, Utah. Her family moved to Wells, Nevada and she lived and had businesses in Madison, Wisconsin and Winnemucca, Nevada and recently lived in Nampa, Idaho. Patsy survived both of her husbands and had four children; Jill Keepman (Marc), Ron Hill (Vicki), Liz Gonzalez (Larry) and Heather Herman (Bob), as well as twelve grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. Patsy was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend. She was loved by many and will be dearly missed. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Mt Pleasant Cemetery, 115 W. Main St, Mt Pleasant, Utah. ( A viewing will be held after the funeral service.)