Patricia Marie Stebner

Pat, passed away Saturday March 2, 2013 at Munson Medical Center surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Detroit on Monday, July 23, 1928 to Marie (Lyden) and Howard Baehr. She graduated from Cooley High in 1945. She worked in the Penobscott Building as a secretary for an insuance company following high school.

In 1948, after one blind date, she took a chance and moved from Detroit north to Traverse City, (in her mother's words, "that God forsaken place") to marry the love of her life, Allen on April 30, 1949. They lived for a time in the Port Oneida area before settling in Traverse City where they raised their four children. Family was everything to Pat, whom she focused on tirelessly. Later she went to work at Milliken's Department Store in the accounting department, where she worked for 17 years.

Pat and Allen enjoyed 50 years together. They enjoyed traveling with their camper to 49 states and all of the Provinces of Canada. They retired in their winter months to their Yuma, Arizona home, with several little side trips to Mexico. They also had a summer home in the Thompsonville area.

With unceasing love for her family, she remained independent to the end. She never asked for much and appreciated the smallest of things in life. Pat loved her flowers, photography, cooking and baking. She liked listening to the whip-or-wills at home and watching the roadrunners in Arizona.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Howard, who died in 1950 from polio, and her husband Allen, who died in 2000. She is survived by her children, Linda (Richard) Kenny of Alden, Carol (David) Mikowski of Cedar, William of Traverse City, James (Suzanne) of Traverse City; four grandsons, Thomas of Pittsburgh, PA, Kenneth, Samuel and Jack, all of Traverse City and her sister-in-law, Norene Martin of Bellaire.

Pat is now with Allen, traveling down some unfamiliar road. She was his navigator, as she was for all of us.

Visitation for Pat will take place from 6 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. There will be no formal service.

The family would ask that Pat be remembered through memorial contributions to one's favorite charity.

Please share your memories, thoughts and photos with Pat's family by way of her online guest book at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .

The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.