Patsy J. "Pat" Fidlar

1945 - 2024

Patsy J. 'Pat' Fidlar
Born: November 16, 1945
Died: December 29, 2024
Patsy J. "Pat" Fidlar, 79, of Cordova, IL, passed away Sunday, December 29, 2024, at her beloved home surrounded by her cherished family and friends.
Funeral Service was held at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 302 11th Street, Port Byron, IL. A visitation was held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Gibson – Bode Funeral Home, 202 N Main Street, Port Byron, IL. Burial will be in Cordova Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Food Pantry at Messiah Lutheran Church; Ramp Builders of the Illinois Valley; or the Riverdale Education Foundation.
Patsy was born on November 16, 1945, in Rapid City, SD, the daughter of Claus and Polly (Fenner) Bruse. She was a 1963 graduate of Sturgis Brown High School. Patsy married Charles E. "Chuck" Fidlar on May 28, 1967, in Sturgis, SD. They raised their two daughters in Cordova. Patsy worked for several local newspapers over the years, including The Globe and The Moline Daily Dispatch. Her most important work was the Upper Rock Island County Food Pantry.
Patsy was an active member of Messiah Lutheran Church and lived out her faith in a passion for caring for others. She put her heart in the Food Pantry and was dedicated to making sure others had their needs met. She cherished all the people who became extended family members over the years as she walked with them in life. As a reporter, she was the steady presence at every local village board meeting, school board meeting, community event, school event, and whatever else happened in the Upper County area. She was active in her concerns for the school district and was a member of the Riverdale Hall of Fame. She served on the Cordova Village Board for 15 years. She was a founding member of the Tugfest organization committee. Patsy was the River Cities Rotary Citizen of the Year in 2016. She deeply believed in the importance of shared community and loving and caring for your neighbor. Her grandchildren meant the world to her and she always tried to find the time to make it to their events. If she could not make it, she made sure to call and have them "tell nana everything."
Those left to cherish Patsy's memory are her daughters, Rev. Stacie Fidlar, and Leah (Todd) Houston; grandchildren, Kylie, Laurel, Padraic, and Bella Houston; siblings, Linda (Leon) Robbins, Debbie (Stevie) Crecelius, and Roger (Debbie) Bruse; in-laws, Leslie Bruse, Bev Bruse, Carol Bruse, Verna Downey, Lynn Fidlar, Joanne Wiklund, and David Fidlar; beloved nieces and nephews; and many other "favorite" children (you fight it out).
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Chuck; brothers, Cecil, Larry, and Jerry Bruse; and in-laws, Lee Downey, Louie Wiklund, and Jim Fidlar.