Patti Beals Beyer

by Mary Thurman Yuhas

In high school that none of the band uniforms fit her.  She laughs when she recalls how far up her uniform would ride because even the smallest one was huge on her.  Patti played the clarinet and bass clarinet.

Today, Patti is married to Dennis or "Denny" as he is called.  The pair have been married for 18 years and live in Neenah, Wis.   Sadly, he is suffering from lung cancer so they have been going through a rough time although she reports he is doing well with his chemo. 

Patti has six children - Rick, 44, Cindy 41, Scott, 34 and Dan 32.  She lost a baby girl, Cheryl Lynn, who died four hours after birth and tragically, she also lost her son, Greg.  Greg would be 43.  Patti has six grandchildren.

Scrap booking and photography are hobbies that Patti enjoys.  She retired from Plexis Corp., a year ago where she worked as an administrative assistant to the building manager.  Now that she has some free time, Patti enjoys watching her young grandchildren and recently took her 9-month-old granddaughter, Madeline and 7-year old grandson, Sam, to the Milwaukee Zoo.  "They really enjoyed it," she said.

She received a degree in interior design in 1991 from Fox Valley Technical School.  "I was a late bloomer," she said.

Her high school years were not always easy she says.  Her parents were very strict and insisted she always come right home after school, and she wasn't allowed to go many places or have close friends.  "I wanted to be like everyone else and not this protected little girl," she said. 

Despite her restrictions, Patti has fond memories of high school.  One of the activities she was allowed to participate in were the dances at the "Y" on Friday night.  Her mom drove her there and picked her up afterwards she says. 

Since she was in the band, she was able to go to the football games.  And senior year, she went to the Prom with Bill Collins.  "It was great fun," she recalls.

One of the funny things she remembers is how her mother made her wear big boots and pants under her dresses when it was cold outside.  Patti says as soon as she got out of her mother's line of vision, off came the boots and slacks.  Patti lived at the bottom of the 9^th Street hill so she says it was a long, cold walk up the hill carrying her boots and slacks.  She just wanted to look like the other girls she says and said, "Crazy things you do when you're growing up."

Patti went to our last reunion.  She says she enjoyed seeing people and talking.  and the music was good.  "I thought it was great, and I can't wait until the next one."She'd love to hear from you.  You can email her at jpbeyer@athenet.net.