Former Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens has passed away at the age of 83.
Owens was mayor during the flood of 1997, and became a nationally recognizable figure as she led the community through its worst disaster in its history.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the Pat Owens family, and everyone impacted by her loss.” Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said in a prepared statement. “On behalf of the entire community of Grand Forks, I would like to express my gratitude to the work that Mayor Owens did for our City during the Flood of 97. Leading the City through the largest disaster in our history and starting the recovery process was remarkable. It is safe to say that Grand Forks would not be the City it is today without the work of Pat Owens.”
Owens was a longtime city employee, serving for 33 years from 1963, before being elected mayor in 1996.