Larry's grandfather, Leon Shreve Patterson (Papa), married Ruth Marie Lamb shortly after his first wife, Mildred, died of an infection contracted from the birth of their seventh child.... Ruth, who was twenty-three at the time, gallantly accepted the role of stepmother to Mildred's lively brood, the oldest being only five years younger than she.

In addition to these responsibilities and her daily routine on the farm, Ruth raised two Patterson children of her own. In 1955, when her youngest child was eleven years old, she found the time to record some of the historic events of the Patterson family, which she updated periodically over the next twenty years.

In 1807, Mary and William Patterson of Hartford County, Maryland, bought a tract of land that had been granted to John Dayly for his service in the Pennsylvania Lines. This tract of land, known as Kildare, in the district of donation land #4, Lot 688, containing two hundred acres and six percent for roads, made a total of two hundred and twelve acres. Transfer was made by deed from Mary Patell (widow of John Dayly) and her husband, James Patell, to Mary and William Patterson, dated November 16, 1807 at York, Pennsylvania.

William and Mary transfered by deed to David, their son, for the sum of two hundred dollars. The deed was dated March 13, 1812. David transfered the east 106 acres to Andrew Patterson by deed, dated January 23, 1818, for consideration of $10.00. The deeds were recorded at Mercer, Pennsylvania on December 10, 1825, by Andrew Patterson. The recorder was Wm. S. Rankin, and the fee was $1.25. The Pattersons still hold deed for 48 acres of this land, which has been in the family for 130 years [192 years, as of November, 1999, if it is still in the family].

David and Andrew Patterson, with Andrew's wife Margret, and two daughters, came to Delaware township in 1807 and stopped with friends on what is known as the Biglar farm. Here a son was born, William Carns Patterson. When he was six weeks old they moved to their own land. Later David sold the west half to John White, who sold it to Philip Wagner. It is now known as the Wagner farm.

Andrew was drafted for one of the Indian Wars and David, who was single, went in his place. He died in camp with measles.

Adoniram Luchel Patterson [grandson of Andrew] was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania on August 29, 1841. When he was about 25 years old, he came to Wisconsin. After remaining a few months, he returned to his native state and was married to Miss Hannah C. Palm on February 5, 1867. They moved to Wisconsin to a farm they purchased in Green County [near Evansville]. This farm is still in the Patterson family and is operated by Robin Patterson. [The farm will transfer to Robin's son, Norman, when Robin retires].

Adoniram's second son, William G., was married to Emma Shreve on April 10, 1895. They lived in Evansville continuously after their marriage with the exception of two years spent in Nebraska. William attended business college and taught in the Seminary at Evansville. He was bookkeeper at the D.E. Wood butter industry for many years. He was very active in civic affairs. He served on the Evansville water and light commission for forty years. He was secretary of the local school board, president of the State Farm Bureau and active in AAA work, and served on the City Council. He also sold real estate in his later life.

[The three children of William G. Patterson and Emma Shreve were Leon Shreve, William Keith, and June Kathryn.]

Leon Shreve was born January 30, 1896 in Evansville. He was educated in the lcoal schools and had a year at the University of Wisconsin. He married Mildred Alice Buckley on July 25, 1917. They lived on the W. G. Patterson farm for two years and then moved to the Patterson Homestead. To this union were born two daughters and five sons. Wife and mother, Mildred B. Patterson, born July 24, 1893, died April 20, 1935. The children of this union are Rose Phylis, William Norman, Leon Glenn, Judith Mary, Harry Keith, Robin Neil and Smith Lynn.

William Keith was born August 24, 1898. He was married to Evelyn Garot of Chicago, Illinois on January 10, 1924. To this union were born two daughters: [Betty Joyce and Mary Ann] Betty Joyce married Thomas Fawcett and they have two adopted children: Keith and Christy. Mary Ann is single and lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

William Norman married Lois Jean Weary of Evansville in her home on May 23, 1946. He was in World War II. He was educated in the Evansville schools and the country school over the hill from the farm, where his grandfather had gone as a child. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and taught in high schools. At present [no later than 1978, at the time of this writing], he is Associate Professor in the Department of Dairy Husbandry in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Blacksburg, Virginia. To this union were born three boys; Charles William, Ned Russel and Grant Buckley.

Leon Glen was educated in the country school and Evansville schools. On January 15, 1949 he married Audrey [Jane] Anderson of Fulton, Wisconsin, in the Fulton Congregational Church. He has been engaged in farming, ran a filling station, was a mechanic, served in the army in Japan, sold insurance, worked at a discount and wholesale store; and now works for Baker Manufacturing Co., [wholesale plumbing supplier] in Appleton, Wisconsin. To this union were born two children; Alice Ione and Larry Kent.

Judith Mary was born June 6, 1926. She was a registered nurse. She married Frank Higgins, of Chicago, Illinois. They later divorced and she married David Smith. She died May 5, 1964.

Harry Keith was born April 13, 1928. He attended the rural school and Evansville schools and a short course at the University of Wisconsin. When Leon Glenn went into service, Harry took over the farm owned by W. G. Patterson. He was injured when he fell down the hay chute, and he died on November 10, 1951.

Robin Neil attended the local schools and Evansville High School. He married Elvina Strommen of Stoughton, Wisconsin at the West Koshkonong Church on October 5, 1952. They live on the Patterson Homestead. To this union were born six boys; Robin Gary, Norman Dale, Micheal John, Douglas Leon, Scott Neil and Ronald Kevin.

Smith Lynn, born April 6, 1935, attended the local school, Evansville schools and later the Madison Business College. In the Army he served in Missouri and Germany. On November 25, 1961 he married Jeannette Farrington of Madison, Wisconsin. He worked as an IBM supervisor for Ray-O-Vac in Madison. To this union were born, Smith and Jeffery Lynn. They now live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [Smith and Jeannette were later divorced. Smith married Paula Allen in 1989. He died on May 28, 1994, from a massive heart attack while mowing his lawn. Paula, who suffered for several years from cancer, died the following year.]

After the death of his wife, Mildred, Leon Shreve Patterson married Ruth Marie Lamb on November 28, 1936. To this union were born two children, Nancy Jo and James David.

Nancy Jo was the last of the Pattersons to go to the country school over the hill. She attended the Evansville schools and graduated from the University of Wisconsin [with a degree in Social Sciences]. She spent sixteen months in Korea as program director in Service Clubs. Afterwards, she returned to the United States to continue this work at Fort Niagra, New York and Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. In February 1962 she gave this up and started to work for the Wisconsin State Welfare Department. She received a Master's Degree in 1964 from Wayne State University at Detroit. She returned to Wisconsin to work in Social work and [was] a supervisor at Marshfield, Wisconsin [until her retirement in 1996].

James David, born June 18, 1944, attended the Evansville schools and graduated from high school in 1962. He enrolled in the Madison Business College June 18, 1962. He entered military service in April of 1963 [and later worked for the Veteran's Administration in Chicago, where he and partner Richard Suareo owned a home until they moved to Colorado in 1980. Jim collapsed and died in his home on May 11, 1981 after suffering an aneurism, one month before his 38th birthday.]