Died March 16, 2020
Nurse Chicago, Illinois
Patricia Frieson spent her career caring for others as a nurse. Her nephew Tarah Frieson said his aunt always had a knack for helping people and “her main thing was to see people smile.”
“She was very family orientated, very spiritual,” he said. “My aunt loved to read the bible and loved to play with her nieces and nephews. She always was available.”
In March, a trip to an Illinois hospital for breathing troubles would lead to a sudden tragedy the family is still trying to understand.
Patricia died on March 16 from the coronavirus. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, she was the state’s first fatality from the illness.
While the family was trying to come to terms with Patricia’s death, her sister Wanda Bailey began to show symptoms. A little over a week later, Wanda died at 63.
Because of the pandemic, the family has not been able to grieve. But “once this is over, the first thing we’ll do is get together and celebrate” their lives, Tarah said.