Patricia “Pat” Graham 102

June 30, 1924-June 30, 2026

Patricia was born a very long time ago on June 30, 1924 to Books and Alda Wadding in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. She was followed by three siblings who died in infancy which made her an only child and the apple of her parents’ eyes.

Pat always spoke fondly of her childhood growing up in Punxy. She would spend countless hours at the old family farm in Panic. She had many cousins that she loved dearly. In 1939 at the age of 15, Pat caught the eye of Elwood “Al” Graham after a high school football game. Later that night, he saw Pat at a soda shop and asked her to “go with him.” As you can imagine, Pat’s mother was not happy to have her only daughter dating a senior in high school, but the heart wants what the heart wants. In her sophomore yearbook, he wrote, “To my wife….” He knew he had found the girl he was going to marry. Al graduated and was drafted into the army as Pat continued to finish high school. Six months after graduating in 1942, All and Pat were married in

Brookeville, Pennsylvania. Al had one more year in the military, so Pat stayed in Brookeville and worked in her father’s clothing store on the weekends and for the Sylvania Company during the week.

Al and Pat moved to Youngstown, Ohio where Pat gave birth to their daughter in 1947, Lougeina. Soon after, they moved to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio where they bought their first home for only $10,000. In 1950, Al and Pat sold everything to move out to Clark Fork, Idaho so Al could become an iron worker and work on the dam. Pat’s parents were not happy about their only child and only grandchild moving all the way to Idaho, but the idea of getting paid $100 a week to work on the dam was hard to pass up. Pat often told the story of how she left a beautiful house near family to live in a 32-foot trailer so far away. All she could think about was that she should have listened to her mother.

Once the Cabinet Gorge Dam was near completion in 1953, they hooked up the trailer and left for South Dakota where Al worked on the Fort Randall Dam. Then in 1955, they moved to North Dakota to the Garrison Dam. This is where Pat gave birth to their son, Archie, in 1955. For the next 19 years, they moved from job to job taking them back to Clark Fork to the Noxon Dam, Hells Canyon to the Brownlee and Oxbow Dam, Butte, Montana to build the concentrator for the Anaconda Copper Mine, Columbia Falls, Montana, Timmons, Ontario, back to Columbia Falls, and then to Greenacres, Washington.

In 1970 Pat and Al moved to Los Angeles where Al helped to build an underground parking garage for what later was the foundation for Century City and Plaza Towers. From there, jobs led them to Arizona, Anaheim, and back to Greenacres.

In 1974, Pat and Al sold everything again and moved to Iran so Al could work for Parsons-Jurden. This was a highlight in Pat’s life. She fell in love with Persian carpets, art, and jewelry. The stories and adventures Pat would share about her time in Iran was unbelievable. She absolutely loved it there, but had to leave quickly during the revolution.

In 1980, Al and Pat decided to retire in Clark Fork. During their retirement, they would travel to spend time with their children and grandchildren. They were there for horse shows, sporting events, birthday parties, graduations, and weddings. They also enjoyed boating on Lake Pend Oreille.

When Al got sick, Pat cared for him, lifting his wheel chair in and out of the car so they could continue adventuring. After Al died in 1997, Pat continued to travel to spend time with her family and kept a full social calendar.

Pat was active in the Homemakers and enjoyed playing Bridge at the Clark Fork Senior Center. In 2008 to celebrate her 84th birthday, she surprised her family by secretly going with some friends to skydive. Her family did not believe her until they read the article in the paper and saw the picture proof!

You can imagine all of the friends Pat had made along the way. She loved to socialize, she was active, and fiercely independent with a lot of stubbornness weaved in. In 2022, Pat moved to assisted living in Rathdrum, Idaho kicking and screaming. Needless to say, she was not thrilled, but she was closer to her granddaughter who was able to help her in any way she needed.

Pat had a goal to live until she was 100. Once she became a centenarian, she would say, “As long as I can get around and my mind is good, I want to continue,” but the heart can only beat for so long. So in true Pat fashion, she decided to leave us on her 102nd birthday! She passed peacefully with her granddaughter, Shana, holding her hand.

Pat will be remembered as a strong, stubborn, adventurous mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend who we often thought of as our super hero and our war horse. She was truly one of a kind.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, Books and Alda Wadding, her children, Lougeina Beyer and Archie Graham, her siblings, and countless other family members, friends, and pets.

Pat is survived by her son-in-law Ren Beyer, granddaughters Shana (Trevon) Hostetler and Mandy (Dan) Logterman, her grandsons, Davin (Shannon) Graham and Jason Graham, her great grandchildren, Sydnee (Colton) Dow, Casen Hostetler, Tymbre Cotton, Brynn Cotton, Jason Graham, Carson Logterman, and Kenneth Jordan, and by her faithful dog, Luna.