Patricia Margaret Mehring

In Memory of Patricia (Pat) Margaret (McEachern) Mehring (1928-2024) 

Patricia Margaret (McEachern) Mehring joined the saints in heaven on November 12, 2024 at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Kansas after a massive stroke. Pat was born June 6, 1928 at home in Lump Gulch in Clancy, Montana to Aurelia (Quinlan) and John D. McEachern. She attended Clancy Public School through the eighth grade and graduated from Jefferson High School in Boulder Montana in 1946. After graduating from high school, Pat was hired by the State of Montana, Board of Equalization as a stenographer. The department name was later changed to Department of Revenue. Pat had a keen interest in state government and worked for the State of Montana for thirty-nine years before retiring. She became acquainted with many people in her career from all over the U.S. She worked with many taxes and held many titles and retired as a tax examiner in 1985. When describing the favorite part of her job, Pat frequently told others that her desk was the first one visitors came to when they were called in to meet with members of the tax board of directors. She took great pride in greeting them with a smile and an offer for a cup of coffee to help them feel at ease. Pat prided herself on being a dedicated state employee.

 Pat married Donald Mehring on June 26, 1948 at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in East Helena, Montana. On April 30, 1952, Pat and Don welcomed the birth of a daughter, Teresa (Tes) Mehring. On June 26, 2013, Pat and Don joyfully celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, just a few months prior to Don’s passing in 2014.

 Pat was a faithful member of the Cathedral of Saint Helena until she could no longer drive. She and Don usually attended the early Sunday mass followed by breakfast at a local restaurant. Pat was a member of the Association of Montana Retired Public Employees, Senior Citizen Club, Live at the Civic, Kiwanis Travel and Adventure Club, and the Mountain West Summit Club. After retiring, Pat and Don travelled extensively and visited every state in the U.S., all of the provinces in Canada, several countries in South America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, countries in the British Isles, and many countries in Europe. She and her husband took short and long trips and especially enjoyed visiting locations that had a rich history. Pat frequently stated that these trips resulted in precious memories and wonderful new friends from throughout the world and of course a piece or two of jewelry!

 Although Pat was never a good cook, she loved reading recipes in the Independent Record and cookbooks. Almost everywhere she went, she purchased a cookbook. She had hundreds of cookbooks and even more recipes. Her claim to fame in the kitchen was Jell-O. Family and friends joked that she was the ‘Jell-O Queen’ of the family! She could always be counted on to bring a Jell-O dish (with various things including fruits and vegetables included in the Jell-O!) to every family gathering or neighborhood get together. She also loved shoes and at one time had over a hundred pairs of shoes. One of her nephews swore that she had more shoes that Imelda Marcos when he helped move Pat and Don to a new house! Pink was her favorite color. She loved flowers and had a lovely flower garden at every house in Helena.

 Pat was fiercely proud of her Irish and Scottish heritage. She never passed an opportunity to let people know that her mom was Irish and her dad was Scottish. She anticipated St. Patrick’s Day by having her green ready to wear and never missed preparing corned beef and cabbage. Her favorite song was ‘My Wild Irish Rose’.

 Pat loved sports! In high school, she played basketball. She and Don loved going to football and basketball games to watch nieces and nephews play basketball and football at Boulder High School. Saturdays and Sundays were often spent watching Carroll College games, or professional baseball and football games on TV. Pat was an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan and worried about the players when they were tackled!

 When Pat’s four-bedroom house became too big for her to care for, she moved to Touchmark in Helena where she lived for six years. She loved her apartment, food, and the many friends she made with residents and staff while she lived there. When Pat started experiencing memory decline, her daughter moved her to Kansas City to a memory care facility in July 2024 so that they could visit every day. They enjoyed playing pinochle, going for rides, eating out, and spending time together.

 Pat was preceded in death by her mother and father, sister and brother-in-law Mary and Pat Greene (Vallejo, CA), brothers Daniel and Robert McEachern (Clancy, MT), brother and sister-in law Jack and Wilma McEachern (Clancy, MT), and her husband, Lt. Colonel Donald Mehring. Pat is survived by her daughter Dr. Teresa (Tes) Mehring who lives in Olathe, Kansas, a dear friend, Dr. Alison Banikowski, nieces and nephews John (Elaine) McEachern (Jefferson City, MT), Bob McEachern (Clancy, MT), Debbie (Tim) Mahlum (Clancy, MT), Connie Lynn McEachern (East Helena, MT), Fr. John Greene (Gridley, CA), Pat (Nancy) Greene (Arbuckle, CA), and many great nieces and nephews.

 Those who knew her and all who casually encountered her all described Pat as always smiling and a pleasant person to be around. She looked for the good in everyone she encountered. Pat’s motto was “Smile and the world smiles with you”. In notes Pat left for her obituary in 2014, she included the following statement that governed her life:

 SMILING is infectious. You catch it like the flu.
 When someone SMILED at me today, I started SMILING too!
 I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin.
 When he SMILED, I realized I’d passed it on to him.
 I thought about that smile, then realized its worth.
 A single SMILE just like mine could travel round the earth.
 So, if you feel a SMILE begin, don’t leave it undetected.
 LET’S START AN EPIDEMIC QUICK AND GET THE WORLD INFECTED! 
Author Unknown 

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Cathedral of Saint Helena in Helena, Montana in the spring of 2025. Burial will follow at the Montana Veteran’s Cemetery at Fort Harrison where she will be interred with her husband.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the charity of your choice in Pat’s name, the Cathedral of Saint Helena (530 N. Ewing St., Helena, Montana 59601), or the Montana Veteran’s Cemetery (P.O. Box 5715, Helena, Montana 59604).

 As her final gift to others, she would have loved passing along the Irish Blessing:

 May the road rise to meet you.
 May the wind be always at your back.
 May the sunshine warm upon your face,
 The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
 Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.