Beverly J. Mongenel

If anyone ever truly cared for other people in the world, it would have to be Beverly J. Mongenel. She was a warmhearted and well-liked individual. These wonderful traits came easily to her, perhaps because she was such a sociable and amiable person. She tried to do her best to make certain that those around her had whatever they needed. Beverly was a talkative person who typically said what she meant, but she was tactful at all times. Overall, others felt that Beverly was someone who cared deeply for others. She was the person others could go to when they needed consoling.

She was born on October 2, 1937. She first greeted the world in Ashtabula, Ohio. Her parents were Cecil and Chester Swartz. During her childhood, she learned to be reliable and respectful. She was an obedient child who wanted to win the favor of others. She found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of Beverly's personality throughout her life.

Though Beverly was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with her family, she was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. She was a peacemaker who would frequently work to keep those usual family quarrels at bay. But even though Beverly and her family had the typical conflicts and squabbles, they all cared deeply for one another. She was raised with six siblings. Patty, Marie, Peggy, Melvin, Mary and Jimmy.

Beverly was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call her sentimental and a romantic at heart. Her kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around her. She cared what others thought and carried that into her relationship with Louis Harry Mongenel. Louis and Beverly were married on November 27, 1954 athe the Lutheran Church in Ashtabula, Ohio.

Compassionate and devoted, Beverly worked hard to make her new life partner happy. Despite the fact that, like most young couples, they lived rather modestly, Beverly did her best to make it a happy home.

Earlier when she was in her 30's her and Louie, her husband who played in a band would go to clubs together. Louie played the drums at the Cosway Inn in Endover, Ohio.

Beverly was the kind of person who would readily move into action in order to help others. She was appreciated and respected, and she could find value in the opinions of others while being passionate about her own values and beliefs. So it is little wonder that she was active and highly valued by those in her community. Her keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Beverly to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because she was outgoing and worked well with others, Beverly did her fair share of volunteer work. And she wouldn’t shy away from taking the lead on committees or events, either. She was a born list-maker and was great at creating and sticking to schedules.

Beverly was a good homemaker, wife and mother. She was always the one to care for others in the family, including non-immediate. Her nickname was "Hanginpants" which her husband Louis called her lovingly. She called Louis "Pop-n-fresh".

Beverly loved to cook for lots of people. Some of her dishes are spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed cabbage and Puchie Chicken. She loved to make Pazzelis (Italian Waffles) for her granddaughters.

Harmony was important to Beverly and she made every effort to maintain it with her family. Beverly had three children, Randy, Ronald and Todd. The children would often fill her heart with pride with some of the things they accomplished.

It was part of Beverly’s nurturing and fostering nature to make sure that the children were raised in safe environment.

She tried her best to teach about responsibilities and the rewards that can go along with it. She tried to maintain this learning and encouragement when the family took trips and vacations. Later in life, she was blessed with six grandchildren, Bobby, Chris, Nina, Niko, Shawna and Samantha. She was always conscious of the feelings possessed by others around her. She was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Beverly was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. Her secret of success in this area was simple: she would listen before she would act.

Taking her work seriously came naturally to Beverly. She expected the same commitment and effort from those around her. Beverly was a great team player, someone who cooperated well with others. She was what some would call a “people person,” something which was best demonstrated in her good communication skills. Beverly was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Beverly handled well. She could understand the details without getting lost in the "big picture.”

These abilities and this attitude seemed to come naturally for Beverly. They were things she did even during her first jobs. Her primary occupation was working as a home maker and elderly care taker.

She brought harmony to her work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for her colleagues.

A methodical woman, Beverly enjoyed spending time working on her various hobbies. She had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that she could have something to show for her efforts. She developed a number of interests throughout her life, including She loved to play bingo and visit the VFW Hall.

Beverly was one of those people who took pride in constantly putting forth her best effort. Nowhere was that more visible than in sports. She was always enthusiastic and a great team player. Beverly also enjoyed following her favorite teams and events whenever she got the opportunity.

Since she was practical and frugal, she was ready when the time to retire actually came.

Since it was easy for Beverly to meet and get to know new people, she quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once she met those new friends, she loved sharing stories and talking about "the good old days". So even in retirement, she kept in touch with her old friends and continued to make new ones. Her love for animals was still present during these years as was obvious with her involvement with Bear a Wheaton Terrier dog and Pete a minor bird given to her by Roy Rogers.

Being part of the community seemed to come naturally to her. Beverly was a member of the Veterans of Foreign War.

Beverly Mongenel left us on June 6, 2011. She passed away at her home in Fontana, California. She was Seventy-three. The cause of death was a brave and painful battle against lung cancer. She is survived by her husband Louis, children Randy, Ron and Todd, stepsons, Rodger, Wayne and Gilbert, grandchildren, Bobby, Chris, Nina, Niko, Samantha and Shawna and great-grandchildren Serena, Spencer, Mia and Mason. Services were handled by Custer Christiansen Mortuary.

Beverly was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever she said something, she meant it. Beverly was down-to-earth, outgoing and gregarious. She was, without question, the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things firsthand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember her for the most is the fact that she was so understanding and kind. It can surely be said that everyone whose life she touched will miss Beverly J. Mongenel.