Patricia Doreen Heykamp

Patricia D. Heykamp was born in 1929 to Hugh & Mary Heykamp of Deming, WA. Patricia had five siblings; Jack, Dorothy, Maybel "May", Bill and Harry. She and her siblings grew up on the family's homestead on the Rutsatz Road, where they raised dairy cows, chickens, goats and pigs and grew sugar beets and other produce which they sold to the local canneries.

Patricia was between 5 & 6 years old when she was struck by a Model A car near the Deming Post Office. She had internal injuries as well as two broken ankles. In approximately 1935, she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Patricia overcame these setbacks and not only walked, but ran and played sports as well! She was a very determined person.

She knew her family couldn't afford to send her to college, so she worked very hard and graduated from Mt. Baker High School in 1947 with a scholarship and the role of Class Valedictorian. Two and a half years later, "Pat" married her high school sweetheart, Robert "Bob" Clemons, of Acme. Patricia loved children and became an elementary school teacher in the Bellingham School District for many years. After leaving the school district, she spent a number of years working with Visiting Nurse Home Health Agency, showering her clients with extra love and the occasional home made goodie. Toward the end of her time there, she had a few clients who were younger than her! She decided it was time to retire when she found herself with "a vacuum in one hand and a cane in the other".

Pat loved animals (especially cats), gardening, flowers and music. In her 40's, she joined a marching band that travelled throughout the states. In her 50's-70's, she especially enjoyed singing in her church choir and with the well-known Bellingham community choir, the Kulshan Chorus. Besides loving animals, flowers and music, there wasn't much she loved more than showering attention on her grandchildren. Not a holiday or birthday would pass without a gift or card from "Grandma Pat". She truly loved spending time with and doting on her grandchildren.

Although everyone who knew Pat would agree that she could be trying at times, there isn't a single person who wouldn say that she wasn't loving, caring and kind to all - people and animals alike! The family will miss her love and compassion.

Pat is survived by her three children: Robert Clemons (Joy), Linda Roosa (Mike), & Shirley Reeves (Wally). Also seven grandchildren: Billy Clemons, Bobbie Clemons-DeMuth (Tom), Phil Marvetz (Kelly), Shaun Huntington (Krystal), Julie Bratland, Rachel Clemons (Daniel Pickard) and Brandon Clemons as well as a host of great-grandchildren.