Greenwood/Elk: Community Notes
On Sunday morning, I arrived at the Mercantile and was greeted almost immediately with the news that Pat “Sis” Jelen had died in a car accident on Albion Ridge Saturday afternoon. As I thought of my last encounter with Sis, I was filled with sadness for our community and those closest to her. A month before, when she had stopped by with friends after scattering the ashes of her beloved dog Bernie on the beach, she was filled with grief and quietude — which for Sis was a rarity. As her son Thomas put it on his Facebook page, “was a larger-than-life person who had an impact on anyone that got to know her.” Sis first came to Elk with her then-husband, Pete Jelen, and young son Thomas when they bought the Elk Store.
Later, she worked with her life-long friend, Lynn “Queenie” Derrick at the Roadhouse Café as a prep cook. For Queenie, Sis was a sister and best friend. “We grew up together in Martinez; she has always been a constant in my life. When you have a lifetime friend and they pass, it is a lifetime lost.” Besides her wry sense of humor and Cheshire cat smile, we will all miss Sis’ tasty soups and award-winning chili at the Roadhouse. In 2018, Sis and her good friend Cecilia Roy won the Gualala Lions Club Chili Cook-Off!
“Everyone that I talked to… after the accident remembers as a remarkable person; hardworking, loyal, a gracious host, and passionate. That passion burned like a wildfire or was the calm in the storm,” said Thomas. This is so very true. Our hearts go out to Tom, Sis’ other family, friends, and her community. We will never be the same. A memorial will be planned for late spring. In the meantime, Thomas asks, “Please remember any good memories you have of Sis… it’s never the wrong time to tell someone they matter to you, but it can be too late. As my grandpa said, ‘life is too short to be mad over stupid things.’”