Busy M. Patton

Busy Patton (October 14, 1914-December 8, 2008) Busy was born in Kingman, KS, on October 14, 1914, to Louis Kins and Hazel Riney Monger. She was named Kinzella Marie Monger, but was soon nicknamed Busy. The story changed, from time to time, as to whether she called herself Busy, or was nicknamed by her grandmother or her mother, but the name seemed appropriate, to all her knew her. (As an adult, she had her name legally changed to Busy.) Busy lived in Pratt, KS, from 1918-2004, graduating from PHS in 1932. She met Jim Patton when he was being trained at the Army Air Corps Base in Pratt, during WWII. They were married on October 9, 1943, and Jim preceded her in death on December 11, 1984. During her married years, Busy worked at Fairmont Dairy, Sears Catalog Store, The Pratt Tribune, and the Kansas Department of Transportation, until her retirement in 1981. Busy was a life member of the Pratt County Historical Society, where she had been a volunteer; Pratt First United Methodist Church, where she volunteered for over 20 years and had served as church librarian, Library Board member, Administrative Board member, and Historical Committee member. In the 1930s, she was a member of the Pratt Little Theater Group. Busy moved to Glenwood Place in Marshalltown, IA, in March 2004, and made it her home until her death. Although she suffered from Alzheimers disease and bladder cancer, she never complained, and was loved by her biological family, her Glenwood Place and Our Savior Lutheran families, and other friends. She was in the care of Iowa River Hospice, at the time of her death. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Fred Whitehead of Kansas City, Kansas; daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Jim Black of Marshalltown, Iowa; grandchildren Bryan and Amy Whitehead of Kansas City, Kansas; Suzen and Robert Ruis of Shawnee, Kansas; Erik Black of Frederick, Colorado; Dan Black of Ames, Iowa; and Karen and Bill Hart of Austin, Minnesota; as well as her great-grandchildren, Joe and Lizzie Ruis and Stirling Hart. Mitchell Family Funeral Home of Marshalltown, in conjunction with Larrison Family Mortuaries of Pratt, Kansas, is in charge of arrangements