Patricia L. Mars, 80, of Sheridan, died April 4 at Maple Park Village in Westfield. Born May 30, 1938 in Jefferson County, she was the daughter of the late Edgar Franklin and Nellie Marie (Day) Rausch. She was a 1956 graduate of Westfield High School and a member of the Arcadia Christian Church. God, family and friends directed her life.
For a little more than a decade, roughly 1982 to 1993, Pat helped run the cafeteria at Adams Elementary in Sheridan. Her favorite part of the job was the friendships she made at the school and the opportunity to follow an entire generation of Sheridan students from their first day of kindergarten until they moved to the junior/senior high building. Even after they changed buildings, she enjoyed keeping tabs on them as they matured into young adults.
When her oldest daughter joined the high school band, Pat became a member of the Blackhawk Band Boosters. She remained very active in the organization for more than 13 years, seeing both of her girls through the program and for many years after they graduated.
After she left the Sheridan school system, she went to work at Smokey Row Elementary School in Carmel until her retirement in 1995. Pat tried retirement for a bit but then hired on with Pioneer Seeds for several years as a seed corn sorter.
She was a woman of strong faith and when she needed alone time with God, her garden was her sanctuary. She could spend hours weeding, mowing and talking with God. Pat is survived by her loving husband, Harold Wayne Mars. She and Harold were married on Jan. 8, 1961. Also surviving are two daughters, Kimberly Sue Stakelbeck (Michael) of Noblesville and Melinda Jo Mars-Bowyer of Noblesville; her grandchildren Kendra Stakelbeck- Hartle (Derek) and Brock Stakelbeck, both of Noblesville; her sister, Sue Ann Lents (Pete) of Tuscon, Ariz.; her cat, Angie; and her dog, Hyzer. She was preceded in death by her parents.
