Patricia ‘Pat’ K. Anderson
Born: July 19, 1956
Died: July 26, 2021
Patricia “Pat” K. Anderson, 65, of Macomb, Illinois passed away Monday, July 26, 2021, at McDonough District Hospital.
She was born on July 19, 1956, in Princeton, Illinois to Andrew “Gus” and Jeanette (Larson) Anderson. Pat is survived by her husband Steve Monger; her brother, Tom (Laurie) Anderson of Princeton, Illinois; and nephew Carl Anderson.
In her youth, Pat attended the Princeton Public Schools, graduating from Princeton High in 1974. Pat spent many happy days surrounded by farm animals on her grandparents’ Carl & Alice Larson’s farm, near the Hennepin Canal, in Arispie township, in Bureau County. During junior high and high school, Pat won many dressage style horse-riding competitions upon her favorite horse, “Twilight Time,” who she always called “Chico.”
Pat was an accomplished anthropologist, having earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Western Illinois University and her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Pat drove her dependable pickup truck she referred to as “Harry,” back and forth during several summers from Princeton to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, to study, map, and do research of the ancient Mayan ruins. Pat spoke fluently in Spanish; she also spoke the local Yucatech Mayan dialect, promoting a good relationship with the locals who she hired as laborers. Pat’s mother Jeanette and brother Tom once shared her Mexican road-trip adventures, riding along with her inside Pat’s ever so dependable truck “Harry.”
Pat worked for 23 years as an anthropology professor at Western Illinois University. Teaching at Western Illinois University was her dream job. Pat oversaw multiple archeological field investigations and served as both an editor and board member for the International Society for Anthrozoology. For Pat, her research and studies were labors of love and passion that would often amaze those around her.
In one instance, Pat sat in a stubborn Mexican government official’s office for two days, waiting for him to speak with her about an archeological proposal. Once he relented and agreed to meet with her, he witnessed her dedication and passion for the project and approved her entire proposal.
Outside of her research, Pat loved spending time with her mother and traveling with her husband, brother, and sister-in-law. She was also honored to have her nephew, Carl, graduate from Western Illinois University.
Pat also had a great love for birds. She was an avid supporter of the Quaker Parakeet Society, the American Federation of Aviculture, and was awarded the Quaker Parakeet Society Lifetime Achievement Award for her educational contributions. She advocated and championed the exclusive use of positive reinforcement techniques when training any animal which always produced good results and enhanced the relationship between the trainer/owner and the animal being trained.
An expert on the subject of the human-avian bond, she was a certified Parrot Behavior Consultant, and a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She has owned and trained several Quakers during her lifetime, along with two Pionus parrots, and a geriatric cockatiel.
A celebration of Pat’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, individuals can make memorial contributions to The Quaker Parakeet Society www.quakerville.net/qpc
or The Humane Society of McDonough County, P.O.Box 7 Macomb,IL 61455. www.hsmcil.org
Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home is responsible for the arrangements. Please sign the guestbook and leave condolences at www.dodsworthfh.com.

Published by Bureau County Republican from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11, 2021.