J.E. "Pat" Patterson

MINDEN, LA - Funeral services for J.E. "Pat" Patterson will be held Friday December 3, 2010 at 2:00 P.M. at the First United Pentecostal Church in Minden. Officiating will be Rev. Jeff Ramsey. Interment will follow at Lane Memorial Cemetery in Sibley. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. Thursday December 2, 2010 at Rose-Neath.
Pat was born April 28, 1924 and entered into rest November 30, 2010 in Shreveport. He was a member of First United Pentecostal Church. He graduated from Minden High School in 1946. He served in the United States Navy for four years as a Teleman (Mailman). He returned to Minden and married Sadie Grace Chanler and shared more than sixty years together. He was owner/operator of a boat camp on Lake Bistineau. His business interests included Tide Crafts, Inc., a boat company previously known as Bayou Boats, which he purchased in the early 1960s. The company sustained three major fires, including one in 1970. In its day, Tide Craft consisted of a large office complex with Minden's first computer system, a showroom, and metal buildings for the production of large boats. The boats were shipped by 18-wheelers all over the United States and presented in show rooms nationwide. In 19 74, Patterson sold Tide Craft and announced his bid for mayor of Minden. For the first time ever, a full Republican slate filed for all municipal positions in the historically Democratic city. He served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, for a single term from 1974-1978. While he was mayor decisions was made to keep the bricks on main street and take up the bricks on back street, so they could replace the ones that would break or need replacing in the years to come. Rather than seek a second term as mayor, Patterson sought to fill an opening in the Louisiana House of Representatives in a special election held on November 7, 1978.
His wife Sadie Grace Patterson, son Ricky Gayle Patterson, daughter Carmen Valerie Paul, brothers J.B., Jr. and Leroy Patterson preceded him in death.
He is survived by his daughter Tanua and husband Rev. Keith Riley of Diboll, Texas, grandchildren Shane Patterson, Tiffani Patterson, Trey & Jacob Yocom, Chasity Patrick and Kortney Riley, eight great-grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.