Patricia A. Herron

Patricia Ann Herron, 94, of Junction City, Kansas, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan. An intelligent, strong-willed woman who poured her life into her family and home, she was born on August 23, 1930, to Pauline and Douglas Barksdale, in Fort Riley, Kansas.

She was one of four siblings, who all excelled in school-as shown by items about their essays and academic standing that periodically appeared in The Junction City Daily Union in the 1930s and 1940s. Her light shone as much as it was possible for a talented young person of color in that era. In high school, she was an exemplary student in Latin and was asked to fill in when her teacher was absent. She was a delegate to Girls State, the summer civics program, held at the University of Kansas. African American civic groups in Junction City raised money to help send her to college and celebrated her with a tea-another event mentioned in The Daily Union.

Among the guests at that event was Robert J. Herron, a young Army corporal who was very clever and handsome. They met in group outings, became friendly, and married in 1948. As a young married woman, she enrolled in the University of Kansas and spent a year there that she remembered and cherished for the rest of her life. In her second semester, she found that she was pregnant and soon after gave birth to a son, Robert Jr., who was premature and had severe heart problems. The young couple returned to Junction City, and their firstborn, whom they called Robbie, died around age 6 months.

This began the era of her life that was devoted to motherhood. As was common in her generation, she had an impeccably pleasant demeanor, with a determined and resilient core. With her husband Robert, by then a mess sergeant who was stationed all over the world, she raised seven children in Fort Riley, Okinawa, and German cities including Kaiserslautern, Furth, and Mainz. Robert Herron served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, then retired from the Army and became head custodian for Junction City Senior High School.

Over the years, Patricia Herron instilled a love of learning and music in all of the children. Reading from the encyclopedia, quoting poetry, enrolling them in classes like the accordion, the piano, vocal performance, the clarinet, the drums, and encouraging them in sports like football, baseball, basketball, track, and wrestling. Even when the budget was tight, the couple found a way to place surprise presents under the Christmas tree, as if by magic. And they created special events, like packing a picnic for outings to the drive-in movie, serving popcorn and slices of frozen candy bars as the family watched award shows on TV, and setting up slide shows of the family’s travels to Germany, Belgium, Paris, Rome, and Robert’s hometown, Mobile, Alabama.

Every one of her surviving children earned degrees after high school-three of them master’s degrees. And over the years, her message of achievement inspired them all to fulfilling careers: A retired Army Lt. Colonel and corporate executive; an investment advisor; a lyric soprano and cabaret singer; a retired advertising executive at The New York Times; a former editor at The New York Times who became a health system communications director; a paramedic at Irwin Army Community Hospital in Fort Riley; and a firefighter paramedic and respiratory therapist in Kansas City.

When she was in her 40s, with most of the children launched into young adulthood, she became a cashier at JC Penney in Junction City, applying her sharp mind to that job, as well. In 1975, she won a courtesy award from the Chamber of Commerce for her service. But her biggest achievement was her family, into whom she channeled her intellectual curiosity, her love of fairness and tolerance, and her tenacity and integrity. Robert J. Herron died in 2008, and Patricia spent her later years supported and cared for in Junction City by her children Patrick Herron and Greta Herron.

In addition to her husband, Patricia was predeceased by her four siblings, and a half-sister. Her survivors include seven children, Frederick Herron, Cynthia Herron, Greta Herron, Natalie Herron, Vanessa Gordon, Patrick Herron, and Bradley Herron; five grandchildren, James Herron and Dana Minutolo, Foye and James Gordon, and Chandler Herron; and five great-grandchildren, Ava and Lily Herron, and Luca, Nico, and Enzo Minutolo.

A visitation will be 5-7 pm followed by a vigil service at 7 pm on Thursday, March 13, at Johnson & Mass-Hinitt. A memorial Mass will be said at 1 pm Friday, March 14, at St. Xavier’s Church, with a reception to follow at the Sonesta Essential Hotel, formerly Courtyard by Marriott, in Junction City. She will be buried with her husband, Robert, and son Robbie at the Fort Riley Main Post Cemetery. A funeral procession will proceed from Johnson & Mass-Hinitt at 10:30 am Monday, March 17.

Memorial contributions are suggested to be given to the Rams Family Scholarship Fund at St. Francis Xavier School in Junction City, Kansas.