Siddie Patterson

Siddie Patterson was born in Helena, Arkansas on September 3, 1927. She was the 9th of 10 children born to her parents, Charles F. and Siddie R. Parker. She took particular pride in looking the most like and being named for her beautiful mother, and having the strong-willed, hardworking, grey-eyed Charlie Parker as her father! Unfortunately, when she was only three years old, she and her siblings lost their mother due to complications after childbirth. This was a cruel twist of fate that instilled early on to her the importance of family, faith in God, "The Village," and resilience. Siddie had great respect and love for her siblings who played an integral part in her life. Her baby sister, Charlene, who was two years younger, was her closest friend and confidant growing up. They both loved to cook and sew and bragged about whipping together gathered skirts and designing outfits that looked as good as store-bought, using 25 cents worth of remnants from the local fabric store! Her much older sisters, Annie and Ellen pitched in to help make sure the girls were cared for and safe while their father worked. Their brothers, Willie, James, and George (aka "Butch") loved to protect and spoil their little sisters. With great love and strong family support, Siddie survived, thrived and found joy in her childhood. Growing up without her mother also made her especially close to her stern and loving maternal grandmother, Maggie Henderson. Maggie Henderson was a well-respected teacher, proud member of Carter Chapel AME church (where all the family went) and was an active participant in the fight for equal rights for the descendants of Africans in the Deep South. This sense of community and civic responsibility showed up in later years when Siddie regularly hosted voting polls in her home in Los Angeles. Grandma Maggie taught her to place a high value on education, and to live in a way that honored God, her family, community and race. Siddie and her grandmother shared a special love for flowers which Siddie passed on to her daughter, Karen, years later when she had her own family. As a child, Siddie would often pick flowers that grew everywhere on their property to bring to her teachers at school. Her favorite person to gift flowers to was Mrs. Etta Mae Jones, who taught Siddie in second grade. She credits Mrs. Jones for her great love of reading and writing that lead to her excellence in school. Siddie graduated second in her class from Eliza Miller K-12 School, only slightly behind (as she liked to remind us all) her life-long friend, Mary Anne O'neal. Siddie received a full college scholarship from the Pespi Cola Foundation which she used to attend Iowa State University where she majored in Home Economics. (So, now you know her renown cooking and baking skills were backed up with scientific knowledge.) After leaving Iowa State and returning home to Helena, Siddie seriously took up a courtship with the kind and handsome, Aldrich Patterson, who she met through Georgia Mae Bush, a mutual friend and older sister of her dear friend, Bertina. Aldrich and Siddie married in 1947. A few years later they relocated to Los Angeles, California, and in 1954 began their family, with the birth of Aldrich, Jr. Two years, later their second child, Karen was born. Siddie choose to do what she considered the most important job there was—take care of her family. She always raised her children to know being a person of high character was to be valued more than all other accomplishments. Siddie devoted many hours to helping her children be successful in school, including waiting in line overnight to make sure they were able to attend the better schools in their part of town. She was devoted to Aldrich Sr. and the happiness and well being of their family. Aldrich and Siddie had just celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary when he passed away in 1989. Siddie was a multi-talented woman. She specialized in cooking soul food and was known for her German Chocolate and butter pound cakes. Not known by many is that Miss Siddie made impressive lampshades and curtains, upholstered furniture, and did the impeccable tile work that could be seen in the main bathroom of their home. She also made clothing for her daughter from designs she drew, as well as created prom dresses for many friends and family members. Siddie loved to travel to warm places like the Caribbean and Hawaii, and Las Vegas! After the discovery of an illness, Siddie moved to Chico, California in 2016; first living for a year with her devoted son and daughter in law, then moving to a care facility. She went to be with God and the ancestors on March 18, 2021. Siddie is survived by her loving daughter, Karen and son-in-law Leon Garrett, Jr.; caring daughter in law, Marcie Patterson; beloved grandchildren, Alisa and Alex Patterson; favorite sister-in-law, Martha Patterson; and a host of wonderful nieces and nephews, family and friends. She was preceded in death by her precious husband, Aldrich, Sr; her son, Aldrich "Pat," Jr.; her nine siblings; and many other close family and friends. Memorial Service—Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Abundant Living Family Church 10900 Civic Center Dr. Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730 (*PRIVATE Graveside Burial Service at Inglewood Cemetery on April 16, 2021) A live video link to her memorial service will be sent out the week prior to the services via text message for online attendance. In Lieu of Flowers please donate to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of Siddie P. Patterson: https://act.alz.org/ Thank you!