15 Feb Patricia Ann Wilke

Patricia Ann Fitzgerald Wilke passed away peacefully at Edgewood Memory Care Unit with her family by her side on February 14, 2024.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, February 19, 2024 at the Pro-Cathedral of St Mary Bismarck. Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in the spring.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at Bismarck Funeral Home with a Rosary/Vigil Service at 6:00 pm. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service.

Patricia was born in Fargo ND on July 28, 1942, to Edward and Hulda (Brandt) Fitzgerald. She attended Sabin Elementary School from 1st to 7th grade and then attended Moorhead Public School where she graduated in 1960. After high school, Pat attended Moorhead State College, worked at Hornbacher’s Foods, and ran for Miss Moorhead.

Pat married Lloyd Wilke on June 13, 1964. They lived and worked in Moorhead while Lloyd was finishing school at Moorhead State College. Their first son, Paul, was born on June 10, 1965. Paul was born with Down Syndrome at a time when not a lot was known about it, but Pat embraced this challenge and worked with Paul to help him reach all the milestones other kids would. Pat and Lloyd moved to Starkweather in 1965 where Lloyd started his teaching career. While there, Matthew was born in 1967 in Devils Lake. Lloyd’s next teaching job brought them to Alvarado, Minnesota, where Cynthia was born in 1968.  Pat was a devoted mom to her 3 young kids, and she enjoyed the small-town life and the fellowship and connections that came with it. She was a great friend, baker, cook, and hostess to anyone who stopped to visit.  Alvarado became a family and lasting friendships were made.  Pat often talked about how the whole town loved Paul and was so good to him and the whole family.

When the kids were school age Pat began work doing books for the Cenex Station in Alvarado and Warren, Minnesota. She was later hired at Peoples State Bank in Warren as a teller and secretary to the president of the bank and any other job that needed to be done. More friendships were made in Warren through her work and where Paul attended school, and also her faith was grown and another community of friends was made through the church the family attended, St. Joseph’s in Oslo, Minnesota.

Pat retired in 2005, and after 37 years of great memories and friendships in the Alvarado area, Pat and Lloyd moved to Bismarck, North Dakota to be near their sons, Paul and Matt, daughter-in-law Kim, and grandson, Sam. Pat couldn’t sit still for too long and so worked in the kitchen at Bismarck Public Schools for 5 years.  Lloyd and Pat traveled many times a year to Ohio to visit Cindy and John and their girls and enjoyed helping on their farm and attending the girls’ sporting events, school programs, and graduations.  Other things Pat enjoyed were playing cards (Pinochle), bingo at the Eagles Club and going to the casino.  Talking to anyone and making them feel special was a gift she had. Pat would go out of her way to say hi to people in church, a family with a baby or young kids, the check-out person who looked like they needed a compliment and smile, or an older person who needed a little conversation.  Another gift of Pat’s was hosting gatherings.  She enjoyed having people over for coffee and cookies as well as dinners. She said that is why she got good dishes, to use them!

She is survived by her husband Lloyd, son Matthew (Kim) Wilke, grandson Sam (Steph) Wilke, daughter Cynthia (John) Albert granddaughters Caitlin, (Joe) McGee, Abby (Andrew) McSurley, Emma Albert, and Ava Albert.

She is preceded in death by her parents Ed and Hulda Fitzgerald, and her siblings, Ronnie, Kathryn, Eugene, Janice, Janet, and Diane, and also her son Paul.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Designer Genes; PO Box 515; Bismarck, ND 58502-0515. Many thanks to the staff of Edgewood Memory Care in Mandan. The care and patience they showed Pat was exceptional.