Patricia Dishaw

Pat was born on Oct. 7, 1939, in Sagola to Rose Mae (Kania) and John Zavada Jr. Pat attended the one-room Mansfield School No. 2 in her early years and graduated from Crystal Falls High School in 1957.

She was employed as a bookkeeper at the First National Bank in Iron Mountain and in 1959 married Neil G. Dishaw in Sagola. He preceded her in death in 2013.

Pat served as the Mansfield Township treasurer for over 34 years and was very active in the Michigan Township Association.

She was a member of the Iron County Heritage Trail and was instrumental in the reconstruction of the Mansfield Pioneer Church, serving as the president of the Mansfield Memories Committee for almost 45 years. She prided herself on sharing the history of Mansfield Township whenever she could. She and her friend, Bev Bates, published the “Mansfield News” for over 20 years.

Pat was an active volunteer at the Iron County Medical Care Facility and a 4-H leader and founder of the Mansfield Mini-Mights 4-H Club for 50 years. She was recognized in 2012 as a recipient of the Emerald Award in Lansing. She was a devoted church member of St. Rose Catholic Church in Channing, where she was an organist for over 60 years. Her love of music was evident through her work in the Crystal Falls Musicale group as well as local music productions.

She received a grant for her volunteerism that provided playground equipment for the children of Mansfield and accepted that award in Washington DC. She was also the recipient of the Iron County Museum Volunteer Award, the Crystal Falls Woman of the Year Award, named Iron County Homemaker of the Year and the recipient of the Crystal Falls Lions Club Citizen of the Year Award. She encouraged volunteerism and led by example — especially with her children. Pat enjoyed her family, music, tea parties with her grandchildren, gardening, picking berries and her many pets.

She leaves her children, Shirley (Randy) Dishaw Beck, Sharon (Mark) Nickels, Mike (Tina) Dishaw, Joe (Kim) Dishaw and Kathy (Gordon) Springberg; her grandchildren, Daniel (Susan) Beck, Katherine Beck, Kimberly Beck and David (Agnieszka) Beck, Jeff (Rachel) Nickels, Sarah (Mike) McNally, Brooke (Alex) Dishaw, Dustin Dishaw, Nicholas (Addy) Dishaw, Ben (Amber) Burklund, Matthew (Krystyna) Dishaw, Michael (Shawna) Dishaw and Chris Springberg; and four great-grandchildren, Olivia, Madeline, Levi and Ellie.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Pete Dishaw; an infant sister; brothers Bob and Ken Zavada; brothers-in-law Duane and Brad Dishaw; and sister-in-law Joyce Zavada.

She is survived by sisters-in-law Karen Rust, Elaine Dishaw and Bev Zavada.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 20, from 3 to 7 pm at the Nash Funeral Home in Crystal Falls. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. Rose Catholic Church in Channing. Father Daniel Dapaah will offer the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., with a luncheon to follow at the Mansfield Township Hall on M-69. Burial will be in the private family cemetery in the spring.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the caregivers of the Memory Care Unit at ICMCF.

Condolences may be expressed to the family of Pat Dishaw online at www.nashfuneralhome.net.

The family has entrusted the Nash Funeral Home of Crystal Falls with the arrangements.