[1][2] Her parents, originally from Seattle, Washington, were academics and the family lived in various parts of the northern United States, with Patterson spending much of her childhood in Illinois.
The family returned to Seattle at the start of World War II where she attended high school and graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1951.
[5][8] During the 1950s, prior to arriving in Waterloo, Patterson found inspiration in liturgical themes situating her artistic practice within a belief that the worship of God is both a physical and spiritual endeavor.
[3] Beyond her commissions, Patterson created and later donated a wealth of decorative art ranging from quilted banners to metalwork for use at the Church of St. Columba in Waterloo, where she herself worshiped.
[5] Patterson developed an interest in folk art shortly after the family relocated to Waterloo due to what she characterized as "a rich heritage of Pennsylvania Dutch and Mennonite handicrafts in the area."
[1] In addition to a number of scholarly publications, Patterson authored several young adult novels including a series of books focused on the Salisbury family.
She was named Oktoberfest's first Woman of the Year in 1985, was given a K-W Arts Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame in 2004.