Sister Pat Funderhide died in a car accident on August 12 at the age of 81. She was born to Edith and Paul Funderhide in Chester, Montana on October 5, 1939 and spent her childhood in the tiny town of Lothair on the Hi-Line of Montana. She was the youngest of four children, Rebecca, Paul, Robert, all deceased. Pat was proud to have attended a one room school in Lothair and graduated from Chester High. She attended the College of Great Falls and entered the Ursuline community. Her first years of ministry were as a teacher in San Francisco, St. Ignatius, Mt., and Great Falls. Sister Pat then transitioned into pastoral ministry working in St. Ignatius, Crow Agency and Great Falls. In the mid 1980’s she spent a year working in a sanctuary house with women from Central America seeking asylum. She returned to college and obtained a degree in counselling. Moving to Billings she opened her counselling practice along with teaching piano, violin, trumpet, and guitar. In 1998 she co-founded Angela’s Piazza: Women’s Drop-In Center where she was engaged until retirement.
While attending the College of Great Falls Sister Pat was invited by Sister Providencia, Sister of Providence, to join her in ministry with the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa, on Hill 57. Sister Pat always attributed Sister Providencia with awakening her awareness of social justice issues around poverty and racism. Her passion was being with and among the marginalized.
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