Nadine Patterson
There are probably few Russellville residents who lead lives as busy as that of Nadine Patterson. Finding the time to honor her commitments is nothing new to Nadine because running on that hyper-speed treadmill has defined her life for as long as she can remember. Start with her childhood family where she had four brothers and three sisters. That puts all the leaves in the dining room table and makes a social environment that is a powerful character builder. The lessons learned from those interactions with her siblings translated easily to the social contract we have with our fellow citizens: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. You know, the Golden Rule.
It’s interesting that Nadine chose nursing as a career path. She is a RN who used her medical training to make people’s lives better but took it beyond nursing to organize programs that brought in other volunteers to expand the impact of what she could accomplish working alone. After Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in 1992, Nadine led a movement from her South Carolina home that gathered quantities of rescue supplies that she and her son transported to that stricken state.
We should note here that Nadine Patterson did not spend her life on the left coast. Her home base was in Ohio and South Carolina for her first 81 years. Nadine’s marital scoreboard during that time read: Husbands 2, Sons 1. That one son is why Nadine is in Portland. He brought her here so he could know she was living well. That was seven years ago and we are pleased to report she is doing just fine.
Meanwhile, back on the right coast in 2005 there was Hurricane Katrina, a huge Category 5 storm that killed 1,800 people on America’s Gulf coast and, again, brought Nadine into full action mode. When her rescue plans met obstacles, she went around them by renting a big truck with a 15-foot bed which she piled high with survival supplies. She and a fireman friend drove the truck to a small Mississippi town overflowing with storm refugees. Between hurricanes, Nadine was a perpetual motion rescue machine. She used church affiliations to participate in setting up a medical clinic in a church in the Ukraine. Just as she did working with medical missions to remote villages in Mexico. It is not surprising to learn that a Fraternal organization in Ohio, in 2008, recognized Nadine Patterson as Co-Worker of the year.
Since arriving in Russellville Park, Nadine never slowed down. She became active in the Community Services Board for charitable actives that included getting school supplies for students and staff, as well as support for Raphael House, the shelter for abused women and family members. Also, HomelessVeterans is one of the charities they took on.
Someone needs to film the Nadine banana bread operation in her small kitchen (background music of an orchestra playing the William Tell Overture) as pounds of flour fly into mixing bowls and the power blender assaults ancient bananas, See the cooling rack on the counter that will welcome the hundred little loaves that will go on sale for $3.00 each. And guess who paid for all those ingredients?
Our world would be a poorer place without the occasional Nadine Patterson who separates from the pack to show us the way to a humane life of meaningful consequence. Nadine would make the point that in celebrating the completion of large projects we must not overlook the thousands of small individual contributions made by other helpers that ultimately wins the day.
