Patricia was born on a very snowy March 17, 1943, in Hinckley, Minnesota to Earl and Ruby (Ennerstrom) Hanson.

Ruby had to be taken by horse and sleigh from the farm to Hwy 48 to catch a ride to the midwife's house in Hinckley. The baby was delivered by Dr. Stephan of Hinckley Fire fame.

The family lived on a farm near Cloverdale. Sometime in the spring of the following year Earl became ill. Local doctors had no success in treating him so he was transported (by hearse) to University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis. In July he succumbed to the illness without ever knowing what the illness was. An autopsy showed that he died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a disease completely unheard of in this area.

Ruby left the farm and she and Patti went to live with Ruby's parents near Duxbury. Ruby took a job with the US Department of Agriculture in Sandstone and commuted back to the farm on weekends. In 1947, Ruby married Ernest Von Rueden of Hinckley and she and Patti made their home there.

After graduating from Hinckley High School in 1961, Patti attended St. Cloud State College. There she met and married Jim Hovanetz in 1965. In 1966, their first child, Karen, was born followed by James, Jr. in 1972. The family made their home in the Twin Cities area. In 1966, Patti was hired by Northwest Bancorporation (predecessor company of Norwest, and later Wells Fargo). Here she built a 37-year career in the investment management field with the help of many generous mentors, and in spite of the lack of completed college degree. In the mid-1980s' she embarked on the path toward becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst which involved passing three day-long exams covering accounting, financial statement analysis, fixed income and equity analysis, economics, portfolio management, and ethics. She passed the third exam in 1990 and was awarded the CFA charter that year. She retired from Wells Capital Management, an affiliate of Wells Fargo in 2004.

Meanwhile, in 1984, Patti and Jim took a giant leap of faith when they purchased an amusement park in Spring Lake Park consisting of miniature golf and a waterslide. While Jim managed the business day to day, Patti took the responsibility for payroll, bookkeeping, as well as all the other behind the scenes duties that go along with owning a small business. Over time, a third 18-hole mini golf course replaced the waterslide and the name was changed to Goony Golf.

In 2006, Ruby noticed an ad in the local advertiser for 120 acres of land north of Finlayson. Knowing that Patti wanted to own land in the greater Hinckley area, Ruby let Patti know about it. Within days, Patti and Jim saw the land and building and made an offer. Buying this land was a life-changing event followed by many wonderful weekends, hikes in the woods, pig roasts and eventually a new home.

In 2008, Jim was diagnosed with colon cancer. He passed away in 2011 after a long struggle. Following Jim's death, Patti continued to operate Goony Golf until 2017, when she sold the property and closed the business.

In 2013, Jim Brennan, a friend and classmate since Kindergarten, came into Patti's life. Together, Patti and "new" Jim traveled, spent time at the cabin, built the new house and eventually married in 2020.

Patti is proceeded in death by her first husband, James Andrew Hovanetz; her parents, Earl and Ruby; and her stepfather, Ernest Charles Von Rueden.

Patti is survived by her husband, James Michael Brennan; children, Karen Elizabeth Hovanetz (Tom) Hart, James Andrew (Sherry) Hovanetz, Jr.; grandchildren, Laura Hart (Jordan) Witte, Erica Ann Hart, Jaylynn Diane Hovanetz, James Andrew Hovanetz III, Logan Patrick Hovanetz; and great grandchild, Jameson Witte.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Patti at 11am on Friday, January 12, 2024, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hinckley, MN with Father Joseph Sirba officiating. A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 11, 2024, from 5pm to 7pm at the Tatting-Methven Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will also take place one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Burial will be at Rosehill Cemetery following mass.

Arrangements by Tatting-Methven Funeral and Cremation Services of Hinckley, MN.