Patricia Ann Dazey Bane
Oct. 15, 2021
Patricia Ann Dazey Bane, age 89 of Wingate, passed away at 11:01 a.m. Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, in The Springs of Lafayette, following a period of failing health.
She was born Patricia Ann Dazey, the youngest daughter of Charley and Verna (Rodgers) Dazey. Patricia was a lifelong resident of Wingate, born on “Bristle Ridge” just a couple miles east of town. She married Kenneth Bane, her high school sweetheart at 18, and had their first son, Phillip, soon after. Peggy came along on our dad’s birthday May 16, 1963, and Jeff was born Sept. 4, 1964.
Early in their marriage Kenny worked at the Bane sawmill for a period, but soon bought a truck and contracted with Dallas and Mavis car transport company, hauling Studebaker automobiles from South Bend, Indiana to Billings Montana. Pat operated “The North End” restaurant and Marathon gas station, as the name implies on the north side of Wingate. To this day, there’s still a Marathon station at the exact location. Both were entrepreneurs at heart and each was supportive of the other in all their business decisions. Both worked hard and they didn’t stop until the task at hand was finished.
After relocating their business from the North End, to the building adjacent their home, most meal times were spent at the kitchen table “watching the gas pumps.” Rarely did they have a meal without interruption. Kenny tuned up cars, changed tires and was an accomplished welder; Pat washed cars, kept the books and waited on customers at the gas pumps. It was a true partnership!
In 1967 they were looking to do something different, so Kenny answered an advertisement posted the Crawfordsville newspaper by the J. I Case Company looking for someone to establish a J.I. Case Dealership in Montgomery County. Pat thought Kenny had lost his mind. But once the decision was made, she was the greatest cheerleader of this newest endeavor, Bane Equipment Sales! Today the Bane-Welker organization has grown to 15 locations in Indiana and Ohio.
Pat continued to work through mid-June of 2021 “running her route” making deliveries, mostly between the Crawfordsville and Wingate locations but often went to Lafayette and Lebanon picking up diesel pumps, delivering farmer parts and getting candy for the guys at Sam’s Club. Her work ethic was to be admired. She lived to work and had no time for laziness.
She loved her husband, Kenneth, loved her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and all of her extended family. She always enjoyed getting together with friends and family for birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special occasions.
On top of all this, she was a great supporter of her small town of Wingate and New Hope Chapel, her local church. She had a great recipe (all in her head) for potato salad and was often asked to make large quantities for the sweet corn festival, church smorgasbords, Bane/Case IH open houses, etc. She always volunteered to help.
Patricia and Kenny saw the need for a restaurant in Wingate, so they, along with nine other leaders in the community formed The Spartan Group, to create a restaurant. The group never expected a financial return on their investment, but through more hard work and additional financial assistance as needed, there is a restaurant in Wingate to this day. They saw the value in providing this to their “community”!
She was somewhat of the “town historian.” She and Dallas Jones were the “go-to people” for recalling names of former residents and businesses that occupied our community. Sadly, with her passing and and most of the original Spartan Group, much of the history will go unrecorded. But much of what they accomplished will not go unnoticed!!
Surviving are: two sons, Phillip (Sally) Bane and Jeff (Sheila) Bane, both of Wingate; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and son-in-law Mark Drenth.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Kenneth; daughter Peggy, who preceded her just 16 days earlier; and her siblings, Lucille Lane, Lois Dejardin, Kathryn Breaks, Virgil Dazey, Robert Dazey and Carolyn (Lane) Wilson, who was raised by Charley and Verna from a young age and was nearly a “sister.”
This is just a brief “snapshot” of Pat’s full life and those of you who knew and loved her will understand.
Visitation will be 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22 at Family and Friends Funeral Home of Wingate. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at New Hope Chapel, Wingate, with Pastor Duane Mycroft officiating. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery, Wingate.
Memorial contributions may be directed to New Hope Chapel, Wingate or Greenlawn Cemetery, Wingate.
Visit online at www.familyandfriendsfh.com to sign the guest book or share a condolence.
