Patricia Elwood

Patricia Elwood, age 88, of Mankato, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026, at Laurels Peak Rehabilitation Center in Mankato.

Born Patricia Raye Anderson on December 21, 1937, in Marshall, Minnesota, she was the daughter of Orval and Florence (Larson) Anderson. Raised in Marshall, Pat was baptized and confirmed at her family’s church and graduated from Marshall High School with the class of 1955. She married Donald VanWatermeulen in Marshall, and together they farmed near town before moving to Illinois in the mid-1960s. They had six children before divorcing in 1966. Pat returned to Saint Peter, Minnesota, where she later met Duane Elwood. They married in August 1975 and made their home in Mankato, welcoming her seventh child. Though they later divorced, Pat and Duane remained close.

Pat worked for many years in the hospitality industry, primarily as a waitress in Saint Peter and at the Viking Inn in Mankato. She was politically active in her community and a strong advocate for the Minnesota Valley Action Council. A faithful member of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Mankato, she found joy in fishing, camping, spending time outdoors, playing the occasional game of cribbage, reading western novels, and caring for her rescued cats.

She is survived by her seven children, Steven (and Lisa) VanWatermeulen of Cambridge, Illinois, Debra VanWatermeulen of Lucan, Donald VanWatermeulen of Sweet Home, Oregon, Laurie (and Loren) Fales of Taunton, Kimberly VanWatermeulen of Bonanza, Oregon, Jonathan VanWatermeulen of Orion, Illinois, and Brenda Elwood (and Dario Mulholland) of Alameda, California; 14 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Orval and Florence Anderson, and three siblings, Keith Anderson, Janice Lawrence, and Eldon Anderson.