Obituary of Shirley J. Mangus

Shirley Jean Mangus passed away April 5, 2017 in Burlington, Colorado at the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital at age 89 years, 6 months. Shirley was born in Burlington, Colorado October 4, 1927 to Carl John Bauder and Ruth Irene Bauder (Goebel). Shirley graduated from Burlington High School in 1945 and enrolled in beauty/cosmetology school in Denver, after graduation there she returned home to Burlington. Shirley was married to Dale Newton Mangus October 5, 1946 after he returned from service in the European Theater and occupied Austria during World War II and together they started their life on the Bauder homestead and family farm. As many would experience the post war years were both tough and prosperous for many young farm families. There was a garden to grow, chickens to raise, eggs to gather, cows to milk, cream to separate, hogs to feed, and a hundred other tasks that were farm life at that time. On December 31, 1947 Larry Gene Mangus was born and life for the young couple took on the beginnings of a family. In 1952 rural electrification brought lights and power to the homestead and a second son Stanley Rex Mangus born September 16, 1952. Oh, and indoor plumbing with a toilet and bathtub. No more baths in the kitchen by the cook stove or cold trips to the outhouse! Times were growing difficult in the mid 1950’s, a drought was upon the eastern plains of Colorado. The dirt was blowing again, nothing like the 1930’s but blowing none the less. Dale took a job with Hasz Drilling out of Scott City, Kansas and in 1955 moved Shirley, Larry, and Stan to Burlington to be closer to school and Shirley’s parents. After a year of living in Burlington the family moved to Scott City, KS. A move that was really never much to mom’s liking, but while residing in Scott City a third son, Tony Del Mangus joined the family on July 6, 1957. Dale, Shirley, Larry, Stan, and Tony remained in Scott City until the school year was complete in 1959 and returned to the farm that summer. A couple of years after returning they drilled the first irrigation well on the farm and started to progress toward irrigated crops. Continuing to farm dryland wheat and feed crops, maintaining a herd of commercial Angus cows, usually a few head of hogs, and settled in to the life they built together on the farm until their retirement and move to town. Of course there was additional acreage to be acquired, another irrigation well on the homestead, transitioning from ditch irrigation and siphon tubes (mom did not like siphon tubes), gated pipe (oh, she didn’t like socks for the gated pipe very much either), then came the first sprinkler, and things were getting a little less labor intensive. There was still a garden for many years, chickens for eggs and butchering, the escaped hogs in the yard, a Shetland pony that had the run of the place, and the infamous guinea hen patrol. There were trips to the mountains Labor Day weekend, Bonny Dam for fishing and water skiing for the youngsters, including Shirley learning to ski and a few circuits around to lake. Dale and Shirley went on several trips to various parts of the country with friends and family. The door was always open to the kitchen and if the coffee wasn’t hot there was a fresh pot being made. Homemade egg noodles drying on the kitchen table, fresh homemade bread for butter and jam, and mom hollering at us boys to not eat all the noodles before she could get the chicken or beef and noodles made. Of course the homemade loaves of bread never lasted long. Pies and chocolate cakes seem to disappear pretty quickly as well. As a longtime member of the First Christian Church she baked many a pie over the years for the fair booth and other church functions. In her later years after Dale passed she enjoyed the home bible study sessions and fellowship with “her” group. Shirley and Dale were blessed with grandchildren Lori, Michael, Jennifer, Michelle, and Michela (Larry); Sarah, Trinda, and Cody (Tony); Drew and Brock (Stan). Great grandchildren Meghan, Kaylee, and Keenan (Michael); Dillon and Cole (Lori); Leiana and Kira (Jennifer); Emily and Sydney (Michelle); J.D., Levi, and Sophie (Trinda); Weston and Austin (Cody). Great great grandchildren Kholie, Shay, and Lochlan (Meghan). The last months of Shirley’s life were spent at The Legacy in Burlington with her death coming on April 5, 2017 with her family by her side. Shirley was proceeded in death by her husband Dale, father Carl, mother Ruth, father-in-law Ray Edward Mangus, mother-in-law Lois Persis Mangus (Hines), her grandparents, and various other family members. Shirley leaves to mourn her passing sons Larry (Debbie), Stan, Tony (Tammy), her grandchildren and many family and friends in the community and across the country.