Meet your neighbors

Christmas is in the air, a time for family, friends and festivities – also a time for giving and meeting new people. Let me introduce you to Hal and Jann Patterson.

Hal was born in California and grew up in Texas and Oklahoma. When he was in the sixth grade, he moved with his family back to California.

Jann was born in New Jersey, moved to Chicago and, when she was four, moved with her family to Hammond, Ind. After high school she moved to Illinois, married and raised a family of seven children, two daughters and five sons. One daughter lives in Spokane Valley and one in California. One son lives in Boise, Idaho, one in Texas and three in California. Her oldest son in San Francisco is a U.S. Navy veteran, and her youngest son in Bakersfield is active duty U.S. Air Force.

While raising her family, she worked in the printing industry and was general manager over four print shops, two in Chicago and two in the south suburbs. She also did typesetting, graphic design and accounting.

Jann also worked for Aidex, a technology company setting up systems in junior-high schools and some high schools, training teachers to teach the curriculum, supplying equipment, desks, computers, etc.

Her marriage ended, and in 1993 she moved to California where she went to work for Thomas Paton & Associates. Jann says it was pretty much the same as the work she was doing for Aidex, so the transition was easy. In 1998, she met her Hal and they were married the same year.

Hal has a background in construction. He has built three houses from the ground up and has also done a lot of remodeling. Hal owned several Tower of London fish and chips restaurants in California, worked for an automotive dealer and delivered motor homes across the country. He also worked as a home inspector and was manager of a Sav-On pharmacy located inside a Lucky grocery store.

Jann got her real estate license in 2000 and Hal got his in 2004. Hal's health problems took them to Harrison, Idaho in 2007, where Jann worked as the city clerk and treasurer, and Hal worked at the Napa store.

In 2014, they bought two houses in Odessa and in 2016 moved here after the remodeling was complete. Jann currently works at Odessa Office Equipment, and both Hal and Jann run a real estate office here in town.

Jann tells me they have made many friends through real estate over the years, and they enjoy meeting people. They love Odessa and are very happy here. Jann dabbles in painting and loves to knit. Hal hangs out with the coffee groups at Chiefs seven days a week. They both enjoy the Friday evening get-together at Chiefs where they enjoy food and fellowship. So if you have not had the opportunity to make their acquaintance, stop in at the real estate office (in the former Avista building) or Odessa Office Equipment, where Jann is employed, or at Chiefs on Friday evenings and say hello.

Until next time. Enjoy life!