Patricia Marie Farris

Patricia Marie (Tharp) Farris died Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at her Inyokern residence. She was 94.

Pat, as she was better known, was born April 29, 1930, in Blue Eye, Ark. She was the second of seven children born to Cletus Clifford and Edith Mildred (Caudill) Tharp. They were one of many families swept up in the Dust Bowl, and Cletus moved to California ahead of the family in the late 1930s to find work. Soon after Edith and her four eldest children followed to the Antelope Valley, where they would make their temporary home. In 1941 the family would move to the Indian Wells Valley, where they were one of a handful of families who preceded the Navy's arrival to the area.

After graduating from one of the first classes at Burroughs High School, Pat went to college in Missouri, where she would meet Fredrick Stanley Farris. The two married Dec. 1, 1948. Their family moved around the country while Fred was a pastor, eventually moving back to the IWV with their children Paul, Bill, Patti, and Laura in 1969.

Pat and Fred and their family operated a cafe, service station, and newspaper in Inyokern while their children were starting families of their own. This entrepreneurial spirit would thrive for decades and later extend to community involvement in events ranging from air shows to parades to theatrical productions to Santa's Art Shop. In 1980 Pat took over as publisher of the News Review, which she continued to operate until 2024.

One of her lasting legacies will be the love of music that Fred and Pat passed along to their children.

She is survived by her children, Paul Farris, Bill (Cherie) Farris, and Laura (Carl Jr.) Austin; brother, Lyndle Tharp; 32 grandchildren; and countless nieces, nephews, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Fred Farris; daughter, Patti Cosner; grandson, Kenny Farris; and great-grandson, Joshua Farris.

A private graveside service was held for the family. Memorial services will be scheduled for a later date. Interment was at Desert Memorial Park.