Patty Rivers Mannie

Born and raised in the North End of Tacoma, Patty attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School and graduated from Wilson High School. She raised three children as a single mother often working two jobs to make ends meet. Patty grew her passion for Tacoma’s history after attending a Tour of Homes in 1976, during the American Bicentennial. Since then, Patty has been a Charter Member of the Tacoma Historical Society and has worked in banking and marketing throughout her career.

Patty is a grandmother of seven grandchildren and enjoys researching the history of Tacoma, going to estate sales and writing in her spare time.Patty is proud as a 4th generation Tacoman and has researched much of her family’s ancestry. Her great grandfather Eugene Scheele worked as a Blacksmith in Tacoma on the corner of North 30th and White Street as early as 1910. Her grandparents Edward and Alma Wildes owned and operated Eddy’s Café on the Tacoma Tide Flats for over 40 years. Patty’s mother Peggy and her two aunts Betty and Helen also worked at their parents’ café while they were teenagers. Some of Patty’s relatives include Aunt Mary Ann who worked at the Tacoma Music Box Theatre; her cousins Charles and Conrad Geiger who owned Geiger Meats and Floyd Marcoe who started Marcoe Candy Company. Patty’s Uncle Roy was the first Tacoma City Fire Marshal; Uncle Bob, Cousin Ernest and step grandfather Evert were also firefighters.