Patricia Jo Anne Waale was born uly 13, 1946 in Ada, Minnesota, the daughter of Ole G. and Joyce Irene (Jackson) Waale. She was baptized in the Lutheran Church in Lockhart, Minnesota. The family lived in rural Nielsville, Minnesota where she attended Sunday School and Elementary School as well. The family moved to Thief River Falls in 1957 where she attended Washington Elementary, was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1964.

Following high school she worked for a while as a nurses aide at Northwestern Hospital, Thief River Falls. When she was in her early 20s she went to Poland Springs, Maine and attended the Job Corps program there. When she returned, she was employed by Arctic Enterprises, Thief River Falls, for several years.

On August 3, 1973 she was married to Gene Nelson and made their home in Thief River Falls. The following year they had a baby girl, Heather Jean, who died after 4 days because of a heart defect. They were divorced a few years later.

She was diagnosed as having a chemical imbalance that developed into other psychological problems and thus resulted in her residing in various group homes and nursing homes for the remainder of her life. When she was in a group home here in Thief River she worked for a time at the Occupational Development Center in their sheltered workshop for adults.

Her last years were spent in Parkers Prairie, Minnesota at St. Williams Annex, in both the group home and the nursing home, and the last week of her life she lived in Karels House Group Home. While in Parkers Prairie, for four days a week, she worked at the Alexandria Opportunities Center, similar to the ODC in Thief River. She passed away unexpectedly from complications due to COPD, a disease close in scope to Emphysema.

Patty was very fond of music, especially country & western as well as waltzes and polkas. She really liked to play her accordion either with accompaniment on guitar by others or not. She was an avid letter writer who also enjoyed reading letters that she received. She also wrote some poetry in her spare time. She loved to go shopping for clothes and also loved to buy gifts for others, as she was a very kind-hearted person. She will be great missed by all those whose lives she touched.

She is survived by her father, Ole Waale, a sister, Cindy Waale, a brother, Brent Waale, all of Thief River Falls, several aunts and uncles, several cousins, four nieces, and a grand niece and three grand nephews.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Heather Nelson, a brother Douglas Waale, her mother Joyce Waale, and her former husband Gene Nelson. May her memory be blessed.