Patricia Anderson | Obituary

July 5, 1928 – July 20, 2025

With great sadness, we share that Patricia Anderson passed away. Pat was born to Carl L. and Christmas Marriott Stenhjem in Conrad, Montana. She was raised outside of Brady, MT and graduated from Conrad High School. Pat was the first in her family to attend college, and in 1950, she graduated from Montana State College (now University) with a B.A. in Home Economics. She was very active at Montana State as a member of Kappa Delta and student senator, while participating in the band and choir. She was also active in the Lutheran Student Movement, where she met her husband Norman L. Anderson Jr.

Norm and Pat were married in 1951 and began a life in Bozeman, MT, where Norm was a professor at Montana State. One of the biggest adventures of their life was spending much of 1955 traveling to Africa and Europe as part of Norm’s Fulbright Fellowship.

Pat returned to MSU and entered the Student Affairs office, where she stayed for thirty years. As Assistant Dean of Students, she worked with generations of students as a counselor and particularly enjoyed advising many student organizations and student leaders. After retirement, she made one more contribution to the women who worked at MSU when she brought a lawsuit against the University, alleging gender-based pay disparity. She won the case and improved the pay for women going forward. For MSU’s 125th year anniversary in 2018, Pat was honored as one of the university’s 125“Extraordinary Ordinary Women”. Norm and Pat retired to Port Orchard, WA, and Pat moved to Bellevue after Norm’s death in 1997. She was active in AAUW, Women’s University Club, PEO and DAR. Pat moved to Mercer Island in 2009.

Pat is survived by her son Lindsay daughter-in-law Janet, her granddaughters Nicole and Kari, and her brother Jack and his wife Karlyn. Earlier this year, the Patricia A. Anderson Scholarship for Student Leaders was established at MSU. In lieu of flowers, remembrances to this scholarship fund through the MSU Foundation would be appreciated.

Services will be held at a later date. Please contact the family or Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Mercer Island for more information.