Geraldine S. Bowden Mangan

Geraldine Scott Bowden Mangan

November 12, 1928 December 14, 2012

Geraldine Scott was born on November 12, 1928 in Lowell, Massachusetts to David and Margaret Bowden. Her address was 59 South Whipple Street. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was from English descent. Mom was an only child for about 14 years until her brother Gary was born. She and her family had many friends that were immigrants. Mom called it the League of Nations.

She graduated from Lowell High on June 12, 1946. She was employed in a spaghetti factory afterwards until she met the Great Navy Man from Baltimore, Maryland. She married William Leo Mangan on August 20, 1947 in the rectory at Saint Phillip and James Church. She was embraced by Dad’s Mother, Father, and eleven of twelve siblings. Mom and Dad lived in Brooklyn, Maryland near Aunt Kay and Uncle Pete until purchasing a family home in Hampden on 38th Street. There she and Leo raised six children.

Mom became a parishioner at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church where she attended on a regular basis with her children. Later, she also attended Otterbein United Methodist Church. She enjoyed both as well as attending home bible church and study groups as practiced by early Christians.

Geraldine’s interests were reading ( even though she only had vision in one eye), cooking & baking, walking, Thursday nights with Roma and the ladies, and shopping at the downtown stores such as Hoschild Kohn( where Grandmom worked), Hechts, Stewards, and Hutzlers! She attended the Mother’s Club at Saint Thomas and belonged to the PTA at Hampden Elementary School. She volunteered at the Keswick Home and helped other patients while visiting Grand Mom Bowden at Alice Manor. She also kept in touch with friends in Massachusettes as well as new ones in Baltimore that did not live close by. Evenings were spent sitting outside with the neighbors while relaxing, sharing, and eating snacks.

Her favorite foods were ice cream- coffee ( which she couldn’t get here at first) and butter pecan. She has always loved potatoes – fried or chips and ate them until the end. She always baked sugar cookies at Christmas and her famous fudge!

In her later years Mom’s favorite place was McDonald’s where she would get her burgers, the chicken sandwich, and fries while meeting her men friends. Her Legacy in Hampden is being known as the Lady In The Green Coat! Mom was always cold and wore the coat even in 90+ temperatures when everyone else would be sweating. She would also be layered with sweaters underneath. It didn’t matter what season, she always had the coat!

Any one from Massachusettes had it in with Mom! In the spring of last year Patricia and Martin took her for a long drive – to Tiffany’s place! She revisited her old house and saw Mary and Jim Ringwood.

Geraldine liked spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She would always want to give them ice cream even in the early morning!

Geraldine is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Gary David Bowden & Maureen, five children: William Gary Mangan, Mary E. Bratcher, Maureen Ann and husband Don German, Bernadette and husband Jalal Jalalian, and Patricia Fishback and her fiance' Martin. Geraldine’s husband William Leo is already deceased as well as her son David. Memories will live on in her 13 grandchildren, 1 step granddaughter, 11 great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.

As we say Good bye she is well remembered for walking the streets of Hampden but she WILL NOW BE WALKING THE STREETS OF GOLD BECAUSE SHE MADE A PROFESSION FOR JESUS CHRIST!