Patsy Ruth Manny

We are so pleased to honor here the life of our mother, Patty James Manny, who lived from February 25, 1939 to April 15, 2025.
Funeral services will be held on April 18, 2025 beginning at 12:00pm at Iles Brandt Chapel 1301 Ash St. Dallas Center, Iowa. A visitation will be held the hour prior from 11:00 am-12:00 pm. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Minburn, Iowa.
Patty was born to Otis Smotherman and Bessie Malone Smotherman on a farm near Dallas Center. Patty was one of five close-knit sisters who embodied their parent's modest demeanors and ambitious values. The Smotherman family relocated to Minburn when she was a child and Patty grew up playing basketball and participating in the annual Singing Wheels pageants.
Like many young women of her generation, Patty married early to her high school sweetheart, Ray James. They began a family which included 3 children and lots of horses. Patty and Ray enjoyed a country life and Patty developed a career in administration and bookkeeping. In later life, Patty remarried a lifelong friend, Carl Manny, who was a retired fire fighter.
We could speak further of what she did but who she was is a far more worthy subject. Patty lived a legacy of love. She maintained lifelong friendships and a quiet and gentle devotion to her extended family. The ability to paint this sage soul in words without clichés escapes us.
She lived her values of kindness, respect and love every day. She listened without judgement. She found ways to help and support. She believed the best of everyone. She looked for the small joys of life and reveled in the large ones. She loved to dance even in the rain. She was "home" wherever we found her. And she made it all look easy.
Corporate glory was not important to her. Staying centered in her values of kindness and love were the only importance to her. It was her lifelong work to extend that grace to whomever she met. This extraordinary dedication to family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances is something we will strive to emulate.
Patty's surviving family include her children, Sheilah James, Tess Carrigan and David James (Dianne). Patty's grandchildren include Emily Carrigan, Nolan Carrigan, Anne Markham, Colton James, Aaron Rickman, Erik Rickman, Nikki Rickman. Patty's great grandchildren include Jordan Lathrop, Nicole Lathrop, Bradley Lathrop, Abigail Heileman, Hudsyn Livingston. Patty's great great grandchildren Bella Carrigan and Levi Johnson. Patty's surviving sister is Betty Wicks (Lowell) of Omaha. She also leaves an extended close family of nieces and nephews all of whom are beloved.
Our family would like to thank the entire staff of Hospice of the Midwest for the tender care given to our Mother during her last illness. She loved you all and you loved her right back thank you!
With all of these souls Patty touched, surely her legacy will endure forever.
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