A memorial service celebrating the life of Pat Tanner of Park Rapids, formerly of Morris, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025, at the United Methodist Church in Hubbard MN. A gathering of family and friends will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.
Pat, age 93, died peacefully at her home at Crystal Brook Senior Living on November 19, 2025, surrounded by her family.
Patricia Ann Turner was born on February 2, 1932 to Frank and Frances Turner in Red Wing MN. Her early years were spent helping in her family’s apple orchard and strawberry fields on the bluffs above Lake Pepin.
After graduating from Red Wing High School in 1950, she attended Hamline University where she was involved in theater, graduating in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in English and Speech Education. While at Hamline, she met a delightful young man who had just returned to college after serving two years in the Korean War. She was taken in by his infectious smile and zest for life. That man became Pat’s husband. Jim Tanner and Pat married on August 7, 1954 and moved to Glencoe where all four of their children were born.
In 1963, Pat and Jim moved to Morris where Pat began a thirty-year career working in the Chancellor’s Office at the University of MN-Morris. In her spare time, Pat spent many hours attending and supporting the sports and music activities that her children were involved in. Pat volunteered many hours working beside Jim at the scorer’s table for the high school and college basketball teams, earning an induction into the 2014 UMM Cougar Hall of Fame.
Pat also enjoyed music. From elementary school through college, she played the flute and piccolo and sang in the choir and continued singing in her church choir until the age of 84.
In 1980, Pat and Jim purchased a cabin on the 10th Crow Wing Lake where they spent their summers. Pat enjoyed reading, crafting, playing bridge, mastering the daily crossword puzzles and watching her favorite sports teams. Most of all, she loved family time! Whether it was playing games, sitting around the campfire, or going for pontoon rides, just being together was her favorite time. Pat dearly loved her family.
Pat was also known for her kind and caring heart and the many ways she let people know that they were important to her.
Pat will be lovingly remembered by her children: Jeff (Robin) Tanner of Spicer, Jenny (Paul) Seaton of Foley, Tim (Roxie) Tanner of Renville and Son-in-law Mark (Terry) Mehr of Aitkin. Deeply missing Grandma Pat are 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Pat was preceded in death by her husband Jim, daughter Terry, parents Frank and Frances, brother Don and sister Betty.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pat’s family members to be used for the ongoing rehabilitation of Pat’s grandson, Jacob Mehr, who suffered a spinal cord injury on September 7th.
Arrangements are by the Cease Family Funeral Home of Park Rapids, MN.
