Patricia Jayne Bissell, age 65, passed away Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at Bergan Mercy in Omaha, NE.
Patti, the daughter of the late Joseph Wayne and Margie Herbert, was born on October 26, 1959, in Atlantic, Iowa. She was raised on a farm on the south side of Atlantic and graduated from Atlantic High School in 1978. After graduating high school, she attended the Patricia Stevens Institute, a modeling and finishing school for women.
On October 22, 1983, she married David Bissell Jr. The couple was blessed with a son, Jackson Royce, and a daughter, Samantha Jayne, and together they raised their family in Massena.
Her career began at Amoco Life Insurance in Omaha, NE. After getting married and moving to Massena, she started her banking career at Union National Bank/First National Bank, then Norwest Bank, and later spent many years working at Rolling Hills Bank & Trust in Atlantic. To spend more time with her family, she shifted careers and became the county assessor’s assistant for Cass County. In December 2023, she retired from the county and enjoyed attending her grandkids’ sporting events. Patti was a member of the United Methodist Church in Atlantic and served on various boards, including Willow Heights and the Family Crisis Support Network.
Patti was a spitfire who radiated happiness and was a joy to be around. She took great pride in her lifelong friendships. She had a knack for making people feel loved and always reminded you just how special your friendship was to her. She enjoyed cooking and baking, even if the results turned out burnt. To her, it was the opportunity to make memories that mattered most. She loved to “shop ’til you drop,” which included hunting for the best deals. She will be remembered for her unique laugh, which was known for triggering laughter all around. Patti cherished the opportunity to travel, especially to visit her nephew Nate and his family outside of Boston. Being a grandparent brought her immense joy, and she loved sharing stories of her grandsons’ orneriness with anyone who would listen.
She is survived by her children: Jackson (Brooke) Bissell of Massena, Sammi (Tyler) Wangsness of Ankeny; her sister Nancy Herbert of Marshalltown; and her brother, Joe Herbert (Julie) of Atlantic. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Beckett and Jayden Bissell, as well as her nephew, Nathan (Yang) Brown and family.
Patti was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne and Margie Herbert; her sister, Romona Jean; her grandparents, Jack Hemsted, Mildred Watson-Hemsted-Weir, Dr. R. Basil Weir, and Joe and Cora Fern Herbert; as well as her uncle, David Nelson, and her cousin, Holly Nelson.
Public visitation with the family will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, February 21, 2025, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, with Rev. Garry DeGeest officiating. A visitation will be available with the family one hour before the service on Saturday, prior to the memorial service. Following the memorial service, the committal will take place at Atlantic Cemetery. A luncheon will be held after the committal in the community room of the Schmidt Family Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Patti Bissell Family; they will be designated later in memory of her. Memorials may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.
Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Atlantic is handling the arrangements for the Patti Bissell Family.
