Pat (Patricia) Garding

Pat (Patricia) Garding, 95, a longtime Billings resident, died at her home on April 19, 2018. She was born to Florian and Monica (Matz) Mosbrucker on March 25, 1923, on the family farm near Center, ND. She was the second oldest of seven children. In 1928, the Mosbrucker family moved to Senate, Saskatchewan, Canada, to continue farming. In 1939, the family moved to Havre, where Pat and her siblings finished being raised.

Before her death, Pat made the decision to donate her body to the Medical Education Program at MSU in Bozeman for students to use in their medical studies. As a result, there will be no immediate funeral services. Currently, the family plans to hold a funeral mass on June 23, in Billings and further information about that will be made available.

As a young adult, Pat attended beauty school and became a licensed cosmetologist. In 1943, Pat moved to Great Falls and worked at the beauty shop at Flegelman's Department Store. In 1946, Pat moved back to Havre, where she managed a beauty shop. At this time, she met the love of her life, Lee Garding, and they were married on Sept. 3, 1946. Pat became a housewife and was busy raising three children. In 1954, the Garding family moved to Billings, where Lee started a business. Pat became a widow at the young age of 41 when her husband Lee died.

While continuing to raise her children, Pat worked at Kresge Corporation and the Billings Medical Clinic. In her later years, she had positions at several different local stores. Pat was always known as an avid card player who hated to lose a game, a woman with a great sense of humor, a fabulous cook, a wonderful hostess and a great storyteller. Her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews have loved her hand-knitted puffballs! She will be missed by all of her family and her many friends at Mission Ridge and Vista, where she lived for six years.

Pat is survived by her three children, Linda (Keith DeYoung) Garding, Ed (Becky) Garding and Marvin (Kim) Garding; her eight grandchildren, Molly Wood, Matt (Maureen Whalen) Wood, Louis (Rachel Schubert) Garding, Emily Garding, Josh Paumer, Jeremy (Morella) Paumer, Troy Garding and Tyler Garding; and four great-grandchildren, Eli Eckhouse, Aria Wood, Zelaya Paumer and Landon Paumer. She is also survived by two sisters, Margaret McNair and Anna (Russ) Rismon; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lee Garding; her parents; and four of her siblings, Jennie Hansen, Mary Armstrong, Odelia Mitschke and Frank Mosbrucker.

The Garding family would like to thank the staff at Mission Ridge and Vista, the staff from the Senior Independence Hospice Program and the staff from the Visiting Angels program who all helped care for Pat in her final days.