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Patricia Brown, of Tehachapi, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Height Street Skilled Care Facility in Bakersfield on Aug. 5, just days after celebrating her 86th birthday with family.

She was born to the late Frank and Eugenia Stachewicz on Aug. 2, 1936 in Streator, Illinois. Patty graduated from Minonk High School in 1955. She attended College while raising four elementary age children and received her Masters in English from Cal State Dominguez Hills. She loved learning so much that she chose teaching as her career. She later returned to College achieving a Masters in History and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She taught English (and ESL) locally in many of the towns she lived throughout her life.

Patty is survived by her four children, Dominic (Celeste) Durham of Tehachapi, Theresa (Tom) Emrie of Sierra Vista, Arizona, Patrick (Cecilia) Kiebach of Mission Viejo, California and Ellen (Ray) Wallenthin of Santa Barbara, California; 10 grandchildren, Michael Durham, Zackary and Jakob Kiebach, Ian, Duncan and Cameron Emrie, Jeremy, Josh and Clarinda Durham, Jessica Smith and Finley Wallenthin; 11 great-grandchildren; one sister, Eloise Bennett of Cornell, Ill .; three brothers, Joseph Stachewicz of Las Vegas, Nevada, John (Nancy) Stachewicz of Lacon, Illinois, and Anthony (Nina) Stachewicz of Pearl City, Illinois; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Jeannette Kuebler, her brother Frank Stachewicz Jr. and her second husband Theodore D. Brown.

Patricia enjoyed reading mysteries, doing puzzles, sudoku and playing bingo in the evening with friends. She always loved dogs and raised show dogs most of her life. Jenny (her bull mastiff) precedes her in death, while Archie and Sassy miss her dearly. She loved doing genealogy research. She traveled a great deal to do research, spending hours combing through archives and cemeteries. Through her work the family has been able to trace their roots back to the early 1700s abroad. She was a talented teacher, researcher and writer who often spent time with her grandchildren. She scoured thrift stores for treasures and was a avid gardener. She loved growing vegetables and roses. There was always a rose bush planted near the front door of her home.

She loved musical theater and her children grew up listening to the soundtracks of "Hair," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" playing throughout the house. Between the regular theater visits, she insisted the kids get new library books weekly and as a result she raise a group of prolific readers who still frequent the library and bookstores in their hometowns. Once she mistakenly mentioned that she loved owls when her children were young, which resulted in her having dozens of owls statues, nick knacks and owl-themed items as gifts for the resulting decades. She later admitted that she liked elves and while she liked owls, she never intended to own such and extensive collection. It was her gracious affable nature and warm smile that we remember the most as she accepted each owl as though it was a valued and precious gift.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m, Friday, Sept. 23 at the Grace Fellowship Church located at 326 E. Tehachapi Blvd. Pastor Kyle Phillips will be presiding over the Service.