Blog no. 56

Patricia Ruth “Pat” Brown was born on October 11, 1935, in Lomax, Wilkes County, NC, to Jesse Bynum Brown and Edna Ruth (Richardson) Patton. She had one sister and one half brother. Their names were Shirley Ann (Brown) Bradley and Robert C. Patton.

In 1953, Pat had a son with Joe Dean Stewart. His name was Richard Leon Stewart. Years later, Richard became a decorated army veteran and guarded the wall in Germany during the Cold War. He also spent time in Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism as a civilian contractor.

Later on, Pat married Frederick Curtis “Fred” Selle. They had four children, and their names were Patricia Diane “Trisha” (Selle) Bill, Curtis Marshall Selle, Cheryl Celeste (Selle) Watson, and Christopher Ralston “Chris” Selle. Pat and Fred eventually divorced. 

In the early 1970’s, Pat and Fred bought the old Freedman School on McLemore Avenue for $3,000 from the Maury County School Board. Pat had great ideas to turn the small building into the first library in the city of Spring Hill, TN, but she knew it would take much work to make that happen. It was suggested that Pat work with the Maury County Library and the city council, so she contacted the Chairman of the Library Board, the Library Director, and the Mayor of Spring Hill, Ralph “Pete” Boyd Jr. Pete Boyd suggested that she circulate a petition, and bring it, along with interested citizens, to the November 11, 1974, town meeting. Two days before the meeting, Pat and her children spent the afternoon going door to door, and nobody turned them down. Pat had successfully founded the Spring Hill Library with the initial 2,000 books and shelves provided by the Maury County Library, and 500 other books donated by citizens. The library’s grand opening was held on May 3, 1975, with about 200 people in attendance. Since then, the city has appointed a library board, which Pat was the first chairman of, and moved locations three times. After the old school, they moved to the former Tom Kinnard’s Drugstore building at 5309 Main Street, then to the Jimmy’s Cleaners & Alterations building at 5317 Main Street, and then to their modern location of 144 Kedron Parkway. 

Along with being the founder of the Spring Hill Library, she was the first woman in the state of Tennessee to become a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, started a few different programs and groups in and around Spring Hill, TN, and then, at the age of 81, she earned her bachelor’s degree. Pat did many great and amazing things during her lifetime. 

On April 15, 2019, with Pat present, then Spring Hill, TN mayor, Rick Graham, designated May 4th as “Patricia Selle Day” at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting that night. Pat was also honored at the Spring Hill Public Library on May 4, 2019.

Sadly, on January 13, 2024, at the Morning Pointe Senior Living in Spring Hill, Maury County, TN, Pat died. She was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Maury County, TN. Pat was a very special person to many people, especially the city of Spring Hill, TN.