April 22, 1927 - May 19, 2010SOUTH BEND - Betty Lou Mangus, 83, of South Bend, IN, passed away at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 19, 2010, in her home. She was born the youngest of eleven children on April 22, 1927, in South Bend, IN, to the late William and Elizabeth (Bauer) Hartman. On October 4, 1947, in South Bend, IN, she married Robert Mangus who preceded her in death on December 6. 1996. Betty is survived by sons, Alan (Marcy) Mangus of South Bend, IN, and Greg (Mary) Mangus of Fremont, IN; five grandchildren, Stacie, Shelly, Candice, Tammy and Renee; one great granddaughter, Storm; son-in-law, Tom Beckman of Warner Robins, GA; sister, Mary Jane Mead-Michaels of South Bend, IN, and "like a sister" Dora Jean Ranschaert. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Cindy Beckman, sisters and spouses, Bernadine (Elmer) Borrows, Colette (Jim) Stevens, Annabell (Hank) Burns and Lucille (Gally) Galbreath; brothers and spouses, Leo (Agnes) Hartman, Robert (Ellen) Hartman, Greg Hartman, Vernon (Helen) Hartman and Clem (Esther) Hartman. Betty graduated from Riley High School in 1945 where she served on every class reunion through the 60th. She received her Certificate of Interior Design from LaSalle Extension University; with her firm belief that you can do or have anything you want, if you work long enough and hard enough. In the early 60's she organized an Edison School athlete booster club, where they held paper drives to buy an electric scoreboard. She organized a McKinley Terrace Women's Club to save the pool and organized a 5th district and Southern Township Republican Club. Betty served on the Centre Township advisory board and served as chairman of the Republican building committee, from its conception till its completion. She was a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash by then Governor Orr. She started her own decorating business retiring in 2000. She met a lot of great people along the way. Betty was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church since its beginning where they held masses at the Southmore Community Building until the church was built. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 24, 2010, in St. Jude Catholic Church, 19704 Johnson Road, South Bend. Burial will follow in Southlawn Cemetery, South Bend. The family will receive friends from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday in the Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan St. South Bend. Contributions in memory of Betty Lou Mangus may be offered to The Center for Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc., 111 Sunnybrook Ct., South Bend, IN 46637 or Heminger House, P.O. Box 4, Plymouth, IN 46536. Online condolences may be made at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.