Patricia "Patti" Stadig

Patricia “Patti” Stadig left us on August 31, 2026 at 79 (or “80 enough” as she would say). She is survived by her daughters Kasie and Kari Stadig, her sister Sandy Kohler, her nephew Jesse Kohler, nieces Shelly Kallenback and Nikki Schneider, as well as cousins and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, her parents James and Jean (Seaburg) Nead, her husband Loren Stadig, her sister-in-law and her husband, Byron and Gail (Stadig) Nelson, her nephew Perry Nelson, and her great nephew Bob Schneider, as well as aunts and uncles.

Patti was born on December 31, 1946 in Glendive, Montana. She had a special relationship with her grandmother Ollie Seaburg who lived nearby and she would often walk over for visits. Patti had a mischievous childhood that involved bringing home assorted new “pets” (and being sent to take them back), jumping on the back of a wild horse, and getting lost in a herd of cows. She loved hunting and fishing from a young age, but her passion was baseball. She and her best friend Paul could keep up with and beat much older players when they were six years old. She was never allowed to join Little League, though she tried, but she was made the local team’s bat girl.

Her family moved to Mandan, North Dakota when she was in eighth grade where she graduated high school. She worked at Jumbo’s, later the Dairy Queen, learning most aspects of running the restaurant. She met her husband Loren through friends who realized they shared an interest in the outdoors, and they married shortly afterward, on November 8, 1972.

They continued to enjoy fishing, hunting, and camping together while having two daughters, three gardens, and assorted pets. Patti was an animal lover who enjoyed watching deer play with bunnies, turkeys chase each other in circles, an overly friendly robin who fell in love with Loren, deer having fawns in the yard, a summer of watching a litter of raccoons grow up, and on one occasion a very drunk squirrel.

But most of all she loved watching her hummingbirds, tough little tufts of jeweled feather that fought each other, battled wasps as big as they were to get at the feeders, and had little fear of humans, getting close enough that you could hear their tiny peeps over the hum of their wing.

Never losing her sense of humor or touch of whimsy, Patti’s favorite time of year was Christmas, and even when the family couldn’t afford much, it was always full of color and music and appreciation. Halloween was another time of year she enjoyed to its fullest. She would help neighborhood kids with their makeup, sometimes scared neighbors with the faces she applied to her own daughters, and loved taking them around trick or treating, at least when it wasn’t in three feet of snow.

She also loved the occasional prank, like jumping out from behind the old boat wearing a werewolf mask and chasing her daughters and their friends.

Other hobbies included cooking and canning. She always put her family first, even when told to put herself first once in a while.

Patti was the family anchor. She would “adopt” her daughter’s friends as part of the family. She enjoyed spending time with her husband, her friends, her nieces and nephews, and was one of the most down-to-earth people you could meet. She would let anyone in, she supported her daughters in everything, and stood by her husband. She was a fierce defender when needed-fortunately not often-and caring for others was her love language.

When the time came, she was able to make her own decision when to stop treatment, for which her family always be grateful.

Her Celebration of Life will be on Friday, September 11, 2026 at 02:00 PM at Faith Lutheran Church in Bismarck. You need bring nothing but yourself, but if you choose, in lieu of flowers, donations to mitigate Patti’s final expenses would be appreciated.

Mom, you are missed.