Melvern--Otis R. Patterson was born on December 19, 1920 at Melvern, Kansas, the son of Verlin John and Miriam Avaline Criss Patterson. He passed away on June 13, 2015 at his home east of Melvern with his wife by his side. He was third in a family of six.
Otis married R. Margaret Green Dean on December 26, 1947 in Garnett, Kansas. Otis is survived by his wife Margaret of 68 years; his four daughters, Margaret "Peggy" Anne (Dale) McCurdy of Melvern, Diana Raye (James) Casten of Plano, Texas, Julia Kay (Eldon) Martin of Topeka and Evelyn Louise (Jefferson) McConnell of Martinsburg, West Virginia; his son, John Dale (Janet) Patterson of Pittsburg; 16 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Gale (Dorothy) Patterson and RD (Norma) Patterson, all of Melvern. He was preceded in death by his parents, a grandson, John Dale II; two sisters, Louise Privat and Norma Dee Arb; one brother, Maurice Patterson and a son-in-law, Leroy Self.
Otis attended Rock Creek grade school, a one-room school and Melvern High School, graduating in 1938. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942. He trained at Alamogordo, New Mexico and served in the 8th Air Force as a sergeant. He was a Crew Chief in airplane mechanics on B-24 bombers at Wendling Air Base in England for the duration of W.W. II. He saw 182 airplanes take off that never came back from their missions. He received an honorable discharge in 1945. He has a paver on the Walk of Honor of the Pittsburg State University Veterans Memorial Amphitheater. He was privileged to take an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in 2007, escorted by his great-nephew, Ryan Patterson.
Otis began farming on their land east of Melvern after returning from the military, along with serving as a rural mail carrier and working as a carpenter. He was active in the support of the Melvern Community having served on the school board, being a member of the Melvern Masonic Lodge #22, American Legion Post #317 and the Melvern Eastern Star as well as financially supporting the Melvern United Methodist Church and the Melvern Community Center.
Otis loved to fish, garden and do wood working. Many Melvern residents were recipients of produce from his garden and fish he had caught and cleaned. He made many furniture items, barn wood clocks and regular wood clocks. He gave canes to his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and spouses at a party for his 90th birthday party in 2010. He also gave canes to anyone who expressed an interest.
Funeral services for Otis will be at 10:30am on Friday, June 19 at the Melvern United Methodist Church. Interment will be in the Melvern Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30-8:00pm on Thursday at the Feltner Funeral Home in Lyndon. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Legion Post #317 or the Melvern Community Center, sent in care of Feltner Funeral Home, 818 Topeka Ave., Lyndon, KS. 66451.