Patricia M. (Hendershot) Hummel passed away peacefully at Briarwood Assisted Living in Allegan, MI, on May 26, 2021 at the age of 94. She was born March 19, 1927 in Wharton, NJ and lived most of her life in New Jersey. Pat, or Patty as she was called as a girl, was named in honor of her birthday being so close to St Patrick's day and her mother's devout Irish-Catholic heritage. Her father was of German descent and was said to have chosen her middle name, Millicent, meaning "strong in work", which turns out was quite fitting for this humble, resilient and very hardworking matriarch. Pat's fondest childhood memories were when she lived on Merchiston Farm, the home of William and Martha Hutcheson, which is known today as the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center in Chester Township, NJ. She often talked about the beautiful gardens, ponds and waterfalls her father helped to construct with draft horses. This is where she acquired her love of horses while watching her father manicure and maintain the acres of fields, woodlands and streams. Fondly, she often spoke of the draft horse team "Dick and Duke" and how she and her siblings played for hours perched up on the horses' backs. Her father would hitch up the team and take them for wagon rides in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter. When Pat was about 12 years old, the family left the farm and purchased an American Foursquare bungalow home built in 1920 which still proudly stands in Oldwick today. Her tall 5'9" stature propelled her to be a natural at sports where she played basketball and softball in her younger years and continued to be athletic her entire life snow and water skiing, tubing, golfing and even race car driving! Her life changed forever when in 1946 she met the love of her life, Frank Hummel, a highly decorated SBD tail-gunner Marine Sergeant in WWII. It was said that Frank approached Pat's then boyfriend and said, "Are you going to marry her, because if you're not, I am" and the rest is history! Pat said it was love at first sight and they never looked back. Pat and Frank secretly eloped in Elkton, Maryland on February 1, 1947, and remarried the next month on March 1st during a spring blizzard at St. Elizabeth's in Far Hills, NJ. Although both marriages were secret, Pat said her mother-in-law soon figured it out because she could see the love in their eyes. After returning from service, Frank returned to Blair Academy to finish high school. Then, the young couple moved to Troy, NY so Frank could attend RPI where Pat worked in the shipping department of Royal Undergarment Co and later in Albany in an administrative/office job. The couple eventually returned to NJ where Frank worked for US Steel. Two years later, Frank began working at Hummel Chemical which was started by his father, Karl August, in 1913 in New York City. Pat and Frank bought their first house in Basking Ridge where they raised their two sons, Frank Jr "Lexie" and Karl. Frank and Pat had a very special, deep love for one another which was very evident to everyone who knew them. They both had adventurous spirits and shared time together with good friends and many outdoor escapades including horseback riding at her in-laws, owning Indian motorcycles and going scuba diving. Frank always dreamed of owning his own business and those dreams came true when he bought Hood Refining Company and the family moved to Pennsylvania around 1960. The family lived in a historic stone home in Murrysville, PA and enjoyed summers boating in their 17ft Thompson wooden boat and camping along the Allegheny River. Pat shot skeet and belonged to the local rod and gun club. They cooked and sat around a crane campfire pit Frank made in their backyard. Together, Pat and Frank made their own 4 hole Pitch & Putt mini golf course on their property where Lexie and Karl learned to hone their short course golf skills. Sadly, in 1965, her beloved husband, Frank, passed away from a short and untreatable bout of cancer. Pat, then at the young age of 38, raised two boys and took care of everything by herself for the rest of her life. Eventually, Pat and the boys moved back to New Jersey to be closer to family. When her sons were older, she worked as a book buyer for Baker & Taylor. As Pat always loved to read, especially historical novels, she greatly enjoyed this job. After closing their doors, Pat moved on to working as a collections agent for Brother International for many more years. She eventually purchased her childhood home in Oldwick from her aging father in 1976 where she lived independently another 20+ years. Semi-retired, Pat finished her career working part-time for Station Gifts in White House. Pat remained active her entire life and was seen weekly mowing her lawn on her John Deere tractor. She joined a traveling ski club in the winters and continued horseback riding in the summers. Pat became a grandmother at the early age of 43 and loved spending time with her family. If she wasn't already hosting them at her house, it was nothing for her to jump in the car or even on a plane to see her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. In the early years, she spent Sundays with her son Karl and his young children by carpooling to soccer games, cooking family dinners and going on numerous day trips to fun places with the kids. She drove near and far to see her family whom she cherished more than anything. She traveled to many distant places and on practically every family vacation with her son Lexie's family and then his children's families, including to Germany, Maryland, Chicago Illinois, Lake Tahoe Nevada, Wisconsin Dells, the Alamo in Texas, Mackinac Island Michigan and many more. She was very active, golfing, riding bikes, hiking, swimming and even climbing trees with her grandchildren. Fully retired and now known lovingly as "Grammie", in 2004 she moved to Schererville, IN and later to Allegan, MI to be closer to her son, Lexie and his family in the midwest. She spent her later years enjoying time by the water on Duck Lake, MI. Grammie loved to sit on the deck and watch the swans with their new babies each Spring. She especially looked forward to car rides over the Michigan countryside searching to find fields of horses. Her greatest joy was having all her children and great-grandchildren around her for family celebrations. She always had a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face. She was a stable and loyal presence in all the families' lives for so many years that she will be sorely missed. The next time you play a round of golf or pass by a field of horses or sip a good scotch, please think of her. Patricia is survived by her son Karl, daugher-in-law, Sally (Feyler), six grandchildren, Christy (Scott Tisdall), Frank III "Trip" (Kara), Peter (Dawn), Philip (Molly), Karl II (Courtney), Victoria and 13 great-grandchildren. Patricia is preceded in death by her husband Frank, son Frank Jr "Lexie", parents, David and Helen (Conroy) Hendershot, brother David Hendershot and sister Helen (Mercurio). Friends may meet with the family on Sunday evening, June 13, 2021 from 5pm-7pm at Layton Funeral Home, 475 Main St, Bedminster, NJ. Monday, June 14, 2021, at 10:30am there will be Catholic Mass at St Bridgid Church in Peapack. Patricia will be laid to rest at the New Germantown Cemetery in Oldwick immediately following the church service. There will be a reception for family at The Tewksbury Inn in Oldwick following the burial. The family would like to thank the incredible staff at Holland of Hospice for their love and devotion to Pat during the last years of her life. They truly became like part of the family and held a very special place in her heart. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Holland, 270 Hoover Blvd, Holland, MI 49423. Service Details. Visitation When: Sunday, June 13th, 2021 5:00pm - 7:00pm Location: Layton Funeral Home Address: 475 Main Street Bedminster, New Jersey 07921 Funeral Service When: Monday, June 14th, 2021 10:30am Location: St. Bridgid Church Address: 129 Main Street Peapack, New Jersey 07977 Interment Monday, June 14th, 2021 | 12:00pm When: Monday, June 14th, 2021 12:00pm Location: New Germantown Cemetery Address: Joliet Street Oldwick, New Jersey 08858