Individual Details
Patty Ann Andersen
(23 Jul 1952 - 6 Aug 2013)
Kearney Hub, Kearney, Nebraska, Wednesday, August 14, 2013: Former area resident, 61. Jackson, Wyo. - Patty A. "Pat" DeFrance, 61, of Jackson died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013, at her home. A celebration of life will be from 5-8 p.m. Saturday in the Sagebrush Ballroom at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson with a service at 5:30 p.m. The Valley Mortuary in Jackson was in charge of final arrangements. She was born July 23, 1952, in Arnold, Neb., to Dale and Grace (Rodewald) Andersen. On Aug. 26, 1978, she married Jerry DeFrance. Survivors include her husband; daughter, Audra Gilman and her husband, Brian, of Portland, Ore.; grandsons, Chase and Brandt; her mother of Kearney, Neb.; brother, Myron of Kearney; and nieces, nephews, cousins and many very special friends.
She grew up in Broken Bow, Neb., and graduated from college in Kearney. She and Jerry made their home near Jefferson, S.D., and both commuted to work in Sioux City, Iowa. Their daughter, Audra, was born in 1981. The three of them moved to Jackson in March 1984 and owned and operated a gifts and collectibles shop and a gallery in the Pink Garter Plaza until October 1999. Pat then worked for the next several years in the state of Wyoming's Workforce Development Center while Jerry worked at The Jackson State Bank and Trust before their retirement. She was an active volunteer, especially for chamber activities and the arts. In 2008, their daughter Audra married Brian Gilman of Portland, and the DeFrance family grew to recently include Chase and Brandt Gilman. She and Jerry always found it to be such a blessing that Brian's family blended so effortlessly and lovingly with her own. Pat's life and interests clearly had many facets but always centered around her husband, Jerry, and their daughter Audra, and Audra's family. On several occasions, she commented that she was put on earth for two reasons - Audra and Jerry. Her big heart also always had the energy for a large cadre of special friends. Her smile was famously a real one, infectious and experienced. She could light up a small office or a large room with that smile and the positive attitude that made it work. She was always supremely and famously non-judgmental. Her battle with cancer began in 2002 but offered long periods of reprieve that permitted some wonderful travel and long visits with Audra and Brian in Portland. She never ceased to praise her doctors and the angels in the Oncology Department at St. John's Medical Center. They became far more than care-providers, they became friends. At the very end of her life, that circle grew to include the dedicated staff from Hospice. Pat was preceded in death by her father, all grandparents and numerous aunts and uncles. Memorials are suggested to St. John's Medical Center Oncology Department, the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor's choice to benefit children.
She grew up in Broken Bow, Neb., and graduated from college in Kearney. She and Jerry made their home near Jefferson, S.D., and both commuted to work in Sioux City, Iowa. Their daughter, Audra, was born in 1981. The three of them moved to Jackson in March 1984 and owned and operated a gifts and collectibles shop and a gallery in the Pink Garter Plaza until October 1999. Pat then worked for the next several years in the state of Wyoming's Workforce Development Center while Jerry worked at The Jackson State Bank and Trust before their retirement. She was an active volunteer, especially for chamber activities and the arts. In 2008, their daughter Audra married Brian Gilman of Portland, and the DeFrance family grew to recently include Chase and Brandt Gilman. She and Jerry always found it to be such a blessing that Brian's family blended so effortlessly and lovingly with her own. Pat's life and interests clearly had many facets but always centered around her husband, Jerry, and their daughter Audra, and Audra's family. On several occasions, she commented that she was put on earth for two reasons - Audra and Jerry. Her big heart also always had the energy for a large cadre of special friends. Her smile was famously a real one, infectious and experienced. She could light up a small office or a large room with that smile and the positive attitude that made it work. She was always supremely and famously non-judgmental. Her battle with cancer began in 2002 but offered long periods of reprieve that permitted some wonderful travel and long visits with Audra and Brian in Portland. She never ceased to praise her doctors and the angels in the Oncology Department at St. John's Medical Center. They became far more than care-providers, they became friends. At the very end of her life, that circle grew to include the dedicated staff from Hospice. Pat was preceded in death by her father, all grandparents and numerous aunts and uncles. Memorials are suggested to St. John's Medical Center Oncology Department, the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor's choice to benefit children.
Events
| Birth | 23 Jul 1952 | Arnold, Custer Co., Nebraska |  | ||
| Marriage | 25 Aug 1978 | Jerry Warren Defrance | |||
| Death | 6 Aug 2013 | Jackson, Teton Co., Wyoming | | ||
| Burial | Cremated | |
Families
| Spouse | Jerry Warren Defrance ( - ) |
| Child | Audrey Jane Defrance (1981 - ) |
| Father | Dale Eugene Andersen (1927 - 2013) |
| Mother | Anna Grace Rodewald (1928 - 2016) |
| Sibling | Myron Dale Andersen (1950 - ) |
Endnotes
3. Obituary of Patty Ann DeFrance, Kearney Hub, Kearney, Nebraska, Wednesday, August 14, 2013.
4. Find A Grave.