65637_Patrick J._Paulsen
MASON CITY — Patrick J. Paulsen, 63, of Mason City, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd St. S.E. Officiating will be the Rev. Edward Bard, chaplain of Hospice of North Iowa.
Visitation was from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery with full military rites by the Mason City Memorial Association of the VFW and American Legion.
Those planning memorials may make them to the Patrick Joseph Paulsen memorial fund. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.Fullertonfh.com.
Patrick Joseph was born on Feb. 14, 1950, the son of Arnold John and Christena “Berry” Paulsen in Mason City. He died on the third day after his birthday. Pat graduated from Newman High School with the class of 1968. He then attended Hamilton Business College for two years, graduating in 1970 with a degree in Cost Accounting. He then served his country in the Navy from 1970 until 1973 when he was honorably discharged. He served as a Dental Assistant at the Great Lakes Naval Base.
Upon returning to Mason City, he was engaged in his profession with IMI Cornelius for 20 years and then worked for Fleet Farm for 15 years until he became too ill to keep working.
Pat was a person willing to lend helping hand to anyone in need and truly enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, often 85 of them at Christmas. He was a great Vikings fan, but his true love was watching driver Jeff Gordon and NASCAR racing. He played pool for the Willow, bike riding, doing jigsaw puzzles and going camping with his good friend Scott at his cabin on the Mississippi River near Wisconsin, canoeing and camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota. He also enjoyed playing all types of card games and visiting casinos to try his luck.
Patrick is survived by two sisters, Geraldine and her husband David Krueger, and Christine “Sis” Paulsen, all of North Mankato, Minn.; one brother, James, and his wife, Gloria Paulsen of Mason City; sisters-in-law Lila and Patty Paulsen; brother-in-law, Larry Bitker; and many many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death are his parents, sister Dorothy Bitker, brothers Don, Thomas, Richard and Jerry Paulsen, and sister-in-law Alice Paulsen.
Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 123 2nd St. S.E., Mason City, Iowa 50401, 641-423-8676; www.Fullertonfh.com or Facebook.com/Fullertonfuneralhome.