Patty L. Cain

Patty L. Cain age 67 of Belle Fourche, died Tuesday July 5, 2011 at the Rochester Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. The funeral service will be held 11am Monday July 11th, 2011 at the First Baptist Church in Belle Fourche, with Revs. Jeff Dilks and Peter Conlin officiating. Visitation will be held 5 to 7 pm Sunday at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. A public prayer service will be held at 5pm. Interment will be held at Pine Slope Cemetery, in Belle Fourche. Patty was born March 22, 1944 in Bedford, Indiana. She was the youngest of 12 kids born to Felix and Leola Chenault. She has said there is good and bad to being the baby of a large family, but it was a wonderful family, with a lot of love, and they all go together on the 4th of July for a large reunion for as long as their parents lived. Patty and her husband to be, Mike, both went to Oolitic High School in Indiana. Mike graduated in ’61 and Patty in ’62. They knew each other but did not date until late in Patty’s senior year. That was the beginning of what would be a life-long love affair and almost 49 years of marriage. They were married September 28, 1962 in Bedford, IN. They struggled like so many during the early years as Mike had a low grade civil service job and Patty worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory. In 1965, Barry was born in Bedford IN, and became their only child. In 1967 a good opportunity came up for Mike at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. As was to be her message through all the working years, she said to Mike, if it is good for your career, it is good for all of us. That began a journey through many places over a period of more than 30 years that took them to Dayton, OH; Honolulu, HI; Seoul, Korea; back to Ft. Huachuca; then to the Pentagon, and finally to Las Cruces, NM. As you might expect, Patty was involved with neighbors and the community every place she lived. Her memory is evident every Christmas by all the messages she receives on cards by all the people’s lives she touched. One thing never changed, however, and Patty insisted that they travel back to her home in Indiana every year for the family reunion. No matter the distance, or means of travel, they always made it back home. On visits in recent years, she always spent time with her sister Norma Jean and brother, Larry (Janie) and saw as many other siblings as possible. Family meant a great deal to Patty. Son Barry moved to Belle Fourche in 1997. Patty and Mike made a few visits and decided in 2000 they liked it well enough to be close to son and grandkids. They bought their son’s home since he was transferred to Gillette, WY. The first winter was a bit rough but Patty soon started to work her way into the community. She enjoyed working on projects at church with friends like Sandi, Kay, Barb, Lily, Ardis and others. It wasn’t long before Patty said Belle Fourche is home. For all her travels, the Black Hills area became the most beautiful, peaceful and friendly place she ever lived. Patty loved to throw dinners together for the neighborhood on Elkhorn Street. She said, and Mike agreed, that they were blessed to live in such a great neighborhood where everyone helped each other, had outings together and made living here very enjoyable. There is no place Patty ever lived where she got closer to friends and a church family as she had with Belle Fourche and the First Baptist Church. She was eager to volunteer at church with decorations, painting, dinners and with the good news club. She also volunteered with Barb at the nursing home in washing and fixing hair for the ladies. She loved to help others. Patty spent her entire adult life taking care of Mike, to the degree that some will chuckle. One has to wonder if he ever learned anything as she did all his work before he got up in the morning. She simply could not do enough for him. She also loved her son and family to now include 3 great grandchildren. And of course, she loved her little dog Muffin more than words can say. She should leave with no regrets. It was a life well spent. Patty is survived by her husband, Mike of Belle Fourche; son, Barry (Tina) Cain of Gillette, WY; 6 grandchildren, Brooke Young, Sarah and Neil Cain, Heather, Hailey, and Hannah Ingersoll; 3 great grandchildren, Teague, Taven, and Trissy Young. She is also survived by her brother, Larry (Janie) Chenault of Bedford IN; and sisters, Norma Jean Ryan, Evelyn Eads, both of Bedford IN, and Margie Pillow of Boonville IN. Patty was preceded in death by her parents; 3 brothers, Kenneth “Coke” Chenault, Ira “Chig” Chenault, Ray Chenault, Felix “Bucky” Chenault; and 3 sisters, Helen Hollars and Juanita Bennett, Mary Harris . FUNERAL SERVICE 11:00 A.M. – Monday – July 11th, 2011 First Baptist Church Belle Fourche, South Dakota DATE OF BIRTH March 22, 1944 Bedford, Indiana DATE OF DEATH July 5, 2011 Rochester, Minnesota FUNERAL SERVICE 11:00 A.M. – Monday – July 11th, 2011 First Baptist Church Belle Fourche, South Dakota OFFICIANTS Pastor Jeff Dilks – Pastor Peter Conlin SPECIAL MUSIC Pianist – Renee McAmis Soloist – Debra Leverington “Come to Jesus”, “Farther Along” Hymn – “Because He Lives” CASKETBEARERS Barry Cain                                                Nicholas Batterman Larry Chenault                                                            Oz Hespe  Terry Batterman                                                 Bob Van Syoc INTERMENT Pine Slope Cemetery Belle Fourche, South Dakota