Life is short, “Remember that!”

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by Judy Bushy Published in the Siskiyou Daily News October 4, 2016
Light breezes kept the mosquitoes at bay around the campfire. Stars sparkling in the vast black sky overhead gave a peaceful feel. Occasionally you’d hear a fish splash in their leap from the Klamath River nearby. Sitting around a cheery campfire with friendly camaraderie was the perfect end of a very busy day.

We were content from the 50’s style Sunday chicken dinner that Bonnie had made and was served by smiling high school girls. Previous year Gloria had made delicious so ‘mores, but we’d enjoyed dinner and all the homemade pies! Pete had brought his guitar and sang a couple of songs, one about the silver-hair aging, and one he’d just written about new young life. How fast it goes from one to the other.

A couple from the resort joined the circle and asked what brought us here. Liz explained we were celebrating the author, Stella Patterson, who wrote Dear Mad’m. Liz and Pete Lismer, grandnephew of Stella, had written Dear Mad’m Who Was She? answering many questions about Stella’s life.

.. They shared how Stella’s relatives wanted her to move back to San Francisco to “take care of her” in her declining years. Her independent streak and having been told she had “young legs” recently, led to her plan. For one year she wanted to live on her mining claim on the Klamath River! That it was for “business reasons,” gave her the excuse she needed! She’d try it for a year.

Dear Mad’m was the book she wrote about living in a rustic cabin, the friends she met, a mule named Pete, goats invasion, learning mining and clean-up, storms, wildlife, without indoor plumbing, woodstove, and other challenges, with only her faithful dog, Vickie. Even with all the answers to questions about Stella’a life, more questions pup up. On that night around the campfire, as we so often wished that we could ask her questions and get to know her better. If only she had written more!

Rod Diridon said right then, “Remember That!”

Have you ever written down the stories of your life? You have wonderful experiences, probably hardship and trials mixed in too, but they’ve made you who you are and you’ve learned from them. Write them down! It might end up being something you’d just want to share with your family and friends, but Stella W. Patterson’s one year story turned into a best seller and 70 years later, people are still reading and enjoying her adventures. Adventures which are like those you have in your own life each day and could write about as well.
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Event to Celebrate Birthday October 14th

Stella Patterson was born October 14, 1866, I know that all you loyal fans of Stell’s book remember (correctly) that the book says her birthday was April, but who moves to begin gardening in the country in October?? that was one of those things that were changed from fact. Stella seemed irked with all the changes that the publishers made and wondered if the story would be the same!
So she turned 80 in 1946 and that began the tale of moving to a cabin in the wilds along the Klamath River to live with Vicki, her dog. Mrs. Patterson passed away in December 23,1955 just weeks before her memoir, Dear Mad’m was published. The book became a popular book club selection and was sold internationally. Naturegraph publishers has reprinted the book and we are grateful that it is avaialble here in Happy Camp!

The Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce has enjoyed many inquiries from visitors to our area who have read the book and come to see Dear Mad’ms cabin. Some people loved it so well that they moved here, like three ladies from Chicago, Joan Richardson, Vivian Witt and Marie Miller. In 2011, with the Klamath Writer’s Group, they started a wonderful tradition of honoring Dear Mad’m with a luncheon, and will again do so this year. Instead of the heat of August, it is moved to also celebrate her birthday in October.

The special weekend  with a reception Friday, October 12th. Peter and Elizabeth Lismer were here. they are the authors of a new book by Naturegraph, Dear Mad’m Who Was She? and we anticipate their first opportunity for a book signing of the new publication. Saturday will be the luncheon Symposium, and Sunday morning a Dear Mad’m pancake breakfast will be served before a field trip to the area where her cabin was located.

For further information on 2012 Dear Mad’m Day, go to www.friendsofdearmadm.com.