Patricia Hiss Friedeman, Great Bend Senior High Graduate of 1955, will be laid to rest in the Great Bend Cemetery on Wednesday, September 8, at 3:00 p.m. At the same time and place, her brother-in-law, James S. Friedeman Great Bend Senior High Graduate of 1949, will also be laid to rest. Pastor Phillip R. Friedeman will preside.
Patricia Hiss Friedeman, 82, currently of Lawrence, Kansas, died with a smile on her face, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital Health on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. She was born on August 22, 1938 in Great Bend, Kansas, the beloved daughter of Carrie Jane Williams and Elward J. Hiss. Patricia was fortunate to have two mothers, her own and country school teacher who taught her for eight years and then she went on to graduate from Great Bend Senior High School. Her college career began at Doane College then transferring to Emporia State University where she earned a teaching degree in Elementary Education in three and a half years. She then taught elementary students in Great Bend, Kansas for a semester. On August 9, 1959 she married Phillip R. Friedeman and together they were off to Boston for her husband’s seminary experience while she provided her salary by teaching a year at a boy’s private school and teaching two years in the famous Wellesley school system.
Not knowing she was retiring from teaching she turned her gifts to being a mother and a superb home maker and pastor’s wife using the gifts of empathy and listening her family had taught her. Never one to be ego tripping she assumed tasks in our eight churches that no one could see to do like leading children’s choirs, playing the piano, sending cards, teaching Sunday School and on and on.
Born at the tail end of the Great Depression, and the beginning of too many of our incessant wars and the occasional hard times on the family farm, Pat became deeply grateful for whatever good came her way and it showed in the genuine heart she has always had for people and especially for the children. And why is this so? Because they could sense that she was comfortable in her own skin. And that made them comfortable to open up and trust her special conversational skills to tell their story. And that is why to this day we still hear from so many of our surrogate-grandchildren and grown adults.
Patricia would want surely to be remembered for her love of community and the groups that made her life special. A sampling follows: Sunday School, 4-H, Pilgrim Fellowship, United Student Fellowship (local, regional, nationwide), Women’s Fellowship (Member and Officer), Yokefellows, Study & Bible Groups, Association and Conference and National UCC meetings, PEO Sisterhood (40 Year Member), KU Endowment Retirees, Divine Diners, Breakfast and Luncheon Groups, Prayer Shawl, Justice Matters (Charter Member), KU Men’s Basketball. And, most important of all, Plymouth Congregational Church Worship Services. Pat’s earnst desire is that once our nation becomes increasingly in control of Covid-19 that we will see a resurgence of community and group life.
Left to sing her praises is her beloved husband, Phillip Friedeman and their two sons and their wives P. Shawn Friedeman (Sheryl) and Thad R. Friedeman (Barbara) older brother Elward J. Hiss and younger sister Elizabeth L. Bower (Al). She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, friends and family may send donations to the Patricia and Phillip Friedeman Endowed Fund in care of Plymouth Congregational Church to be used for the Wider Mission or to Emporia State University, to be used for student scholarships in Elementary Education. These donations may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street Lawrence, KS 66044.