Patricia Susanne Stutz

September 17, 1938 - May 16, 2019

Patricia Susanne (Bates) Stutz, 80, of Lebanon, passed away Thursday in Corvallis. She passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family.

She was born in St. Helens to Clarence and Alberta (Causey) Bates. As a little girl she grew up in the McDowell Creek area of Lebanon, where her father owned a dairy. She was surrounded by animals. She especially loved horses and rabbits. She rode horses often in her youth. She was active in 4-H in home economics and was taught how to sew, cook and can by her mother.

She lived in various towns including Salmon, Idaho, Spokane, Washington, Scio, Stanfield, Lyons, Aumsville, Stayton and Brownsville, but Lebanon was always home.

She raised four boys, John Birch, Ryan Birch, Steve Shuyler and Ernie Shuyler. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the years she struggled to raise these four very precocious, mischievous boys. In her attempts to keep them busy she took them to church, enrolled them in wrestling, baseball, Boy Scouts and 4-H. She was a Sunday school teacher and a 4-H leader.

She had several jobs along the way that included taxi driver, horse trainer and cannery worker. She worked for the Stayton Cannery for 18 years, retiring in 2000.

Pat was witty and had a great sense of humor. She enjoyed kidding around and a good joke from time to time. She could talk to anyone and loved to visit with friends and family. She also loved card games and puzzle books. She loved to bake and was famous for her pumpkin pie and infamous for her fruit cake. She enjoyed genealogy and served a two-year senior mission to the Family History Center in Salt Lake City Utah.

She is survived by sons, John Birch and Ryan Birch, both of Lebanon, Ernie Shuyler of Brownsville, Steve Shuyler of Clackamas; brother, Richard Bates of Lebanon, who lives on the farm they grew up on; 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Pat was preceded in death by her husband whom she deeply missed, Charles Stutz; and parents, Clarence and Alberta.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lebanon at the corner of 5th and Airport. Remembrances will be followed by a luncheon. Graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at Powell Cemetery which is located on a gravel driveway off Berlin Road, about seven miles southeast of Lebanon.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. (www.sweethomefuneral.com)