Patricia L. Hildahl
January 10, 1937 ~ June 24, 2022
Pat’s service will be livestreamed below starting at 2:00 PM Thursday, June 30, 2022.
Patricia Lucille Hildahl, 85, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 24, 2022, at Beehive Homes, Moorhead, MN.
Pat was born January 10, 1937, in Fargo and raised in Glover; the day after graduation from Oakes High School Pat set out for West Fargo to expand her horizons. Upon graduation from Wahpeton State School of Science (now known as NDSCS), Pat loved her work as a legal secretary, especially her time working at City Hall for Mayor Herschel Lashkowitz. After marrying Curt in Oakes in 1958, they raised their children in West Fargo, spending many of the past 30 years at their home on Lake Lizzie, MN, as well as at their winter home in Leesburg, Florida.
Pat was funny, quirky, resilient, strong, loved people & cooking for them, and was a most gracious hostess: “If you are in the lakes area, stop over!” And they did, in droves! Pat knew how to have a good time, was a great card player and good friend to many, but she really dedicated her life to humanitarian efforts and to her family. She raised her children in conjunction with being a professional volunteer, cleverly imbuing in them her reverence for the needy, the downtrodden, the hungry, the illiterate, the lonely, the vulnerable, the disenfranchised.
A lover of music, theater, and literature, Pat had a special soft spot for babies and the elderly, but she spread her love, energy, ambition, and time to such agencies as Friends of the Library/Opera, League of Women Voters, Refugee Language Services, Meals on Wheels, Dorothy Day House, Red Cross Blood Donation, Catholic Circles, Elementary School Volunteer, and American Cancer Society, frequently taking on leadership roles. Her legacy of loving and giving will be carried on by her family and friends.
Pat is survived by husband, Curt Hildahl; children, Margaret (Rob) London, Clayton (Kelly) Hildahl, Maria (Scott Jacobs) Shea; grandchildren, Andrew (Ashley) Zimmerman, Sarah Spilde, Libby (Lars Hansen) London, Amanda (Mike Wojtalewicz) Zimmerman, Karlie Spilde, Katrina Spilde; great grandchildren, Jesstina, Sapheria, Tristen, Joslynn; brothers, John (Jackie) Cox, Steve (Chris) Cox; nieces, Paula and Dawn; nephews, Jason and Michael; nephew, Roger (Karen) Wibbens.
Pat was preceded in death by daughter Colleen; nephew, Brian Cox; brother, David Cox; brother, Robbie Cox; sister-in-law, Irene (Bud) Wibbens; parents, Lucille and Howard Cox, and many more whose spirits are welcoming her now.
The family would like to thank Alyce and Mark Goldthorpe and their staff at BeeHive Homes for their exceptional care of our beloved Pat the past 3 years.
Memorial will take place on Thursday, June 30, at 2pm at Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo. Visitation one hour prior, with inurnment service on Friday, July 1, 11am, Fargo National Cemetery.
Memorials preferred to Dorothy Day House, Meals on Wheels, or Friends of the West Fargo Library.
Services
Visitation: June 30, 2022 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street
South Fargo, ND 58103
Memorial: June 30, 2022 2:00 pm
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street
South Fargo, ND 58103
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Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Patricia L. Hildahl 's name.
Dorothy Day House
714 8th St S
Moorhead, MN
218-233-5763
Friends of the West Fargo Library
215 3rd St E
West Fargo, ND
701-515-5200
https://www.westfargond.gov/738/Friends-of-the-Library
Meals on Wheels
465 Rensvold Blvd
Moorhead, MN
218-287-0434
https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
My beautiful, caring, wonderful Sister Pat
Our Love.
John Cox & family
I knew Pat, as the Mother of my dear friend Maria. I enjoyed each time I visited with this lovely lady. She had a special spark. Heartfelt peace and love to her wonderful, amazing family … may you embrace one another in honor of her memories and the sweetness she brought to each of your lives.
~Kathy Nyeggen
I was just talking about Pat the other day! She taught me how to water flowers in the lake off the dock. It was always so fun to visit with her. I also remember her sending me an encouraging note when I was a young mom. Great memories. Prayers for Curt and the family.
Cindy Rogness
My parents, Clyde and Esther Allen were neighbors at Lake Lizzie
Sorry for your big lost Curt. We both have gone through the big loss. You two were a great couple.
TOOT
Curt, thinking of you and your family. We will all miss Pat. She was so kind and gracious. Remembering wonderful times spent with Pat & Curt from Fargo, Lake Lizzy, to Florida and San Antonio.
Curt, you and your family are in our prayers and thoughts. We remember the fun years as neighbors at Lake Lizzie and the wonderful days our family enjoyed at Casa Ybel, days you made possible for us. You and Pat have been good friends and we share your loss. May good memories gradually ease the pain.
Clyde, Esther, Scott Allen
The friendship between the Hildahls and the Burkes has a long history. It started in the summer of 1969, when the Burkes moved next door to the Hildahls on 6th Street in West Fargo. The kids from the two families were close in age: Margaret and Colleen Hildahl with Barb Burke, Clayton Hildahl with Dave Burke, and Maria Hildahl with Nan Burke. So, the friendships formed easily and naturally. Little Maria felt so at home with the Burkes that she temporarily renamed herself “Maria Boike” (as she could best pronounce Burke).
Both Curt and Bob were (and still are!) both affable and fun guys, so they quickly developed a friendship that thrives today. The bond between Pat Hildahl and Joan Burke was probably the deepest of all the friendships, bringing together two fun redheads who were devoted wives and loving mothers. They were also close in age, Pat being just six months older than Joan.
The Burkes and Hildahls made many wonderful memories renting lake cabins together in Minnesota in the 1970s. Those great times inspired Curt to build a own lake home on Lake Lizzie near Pelican Rapids. They shared their home generously and, after many years of visits together, Bob & Joan bought a lake home too, just a few doors down from the Hildahls and that’s where Bob began his retirement in 1987. It was a great way for the families to spend time together, to entertain, to cards, make meals together and – most of all – just enjoy each other’s company.
The Burkes moved to Fargo in 2011, to be closer to health care services. A few years later Curt and Pat sold their lake home and moved to Fargo as well. But the traditions conditioned, with Bob, Joan, Curt and Pat enjoying many Wednesday night dinners together. Despite increasing health challenges, the four continued to stay connected, with Curt often bringing dinner over to the Burkes.
We Burkes are so thankful for the friendships we’ve had with the Hildahl children and how Curt and Pat were a second set of parents to us growing up. And we were blessed with not one but two sets of role models – Pat, Curt, Bob and Joan, who maintained a strong and loving friendship for over 50 years.