Norma Joan Mangas, age 93, died early Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at home in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana.

Joan was born May 30, 1930, in Winchester Hospital in Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana. She was the daughter of Edwin and Mabel (Norman) Chenoweth of Lynn, Randolph County, Indiana. Joan spent her childhood there with her brothers, Frank and Ed, Jr.

She graduated from Lynn High School in 1948 -- and enjoyed her 70th Reunion in 2018 in Lynn. Joan graduated from Indiana University in 1952 (B.S. Marketing). A second-generation IU graduate, she followed in her mother's footsteps (Class of 1923). While in Bloomington, Joan was active in Chi Omega.
In the mid-1940s, while attending a Lynn High School baseball game, Joan met a Union City, Randolph County, Indiana farm boy on the opposing team. The boy told Joan he would meet her months later at basketball sectionals. He did. There he told her he was going to West Point. She did not believe him. But he did go. And throughout their college years they dated and corresponded, during peace and war. Her letters sustained him over more than a year of combat in the Korean War.

The boy who became a soldier was named Cloyce Leland Mangas (USMA, B.S. 1950; Harvard University, M.P.A. 1959).

On his return from the Korean War, in the middle of Joan's senior year at IU, Cloyce and Joan married on February 3, 1952, at her parents' home in Lynn, Indiana. Joan spent the next 21 years as an Army wife (and eventually also homemaker and mother), moving across America (repeatedly) and to Germany (twice), with all the privations and sacrifices that life entails for a military spouse. She was a Sunday School teacher, a Vacation Bible School teacher, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and so much more.

Cloyce and Joan raised four sons. In 2002 Cloyce and Joan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Richmond, Indiana. They were married almost 63 years.

Joan spent the last fifty years of her life in Richmond. A lifelong Methodist, she was, throughout her time in Richmond, a devoted member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Richmond.
She was an avid bridge player, who enjoyed hosting bridge parties and church ladies. Joan also liked art, a lot, especially by American impressionist painters, and was a supporter of the Richmond Art Museum. In particular, she collected Indiana landscapes by the Richmond Group artists, also known as the Richmond School artists. Joan died ten days before RAM's 125th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration. She would have liked to have attended.

She loved her family even more. The only woman in the family, Joan loved Cloyce and all her sons unconditionally.

Joan was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Cloyce (2014), and her brothers. She leaves four sons, Cloyce, Jr. (Lee) and David, both of Richmond, Ron, Sr., of Herndon, Virginia, and Tom, of Littleton, Colorado. In addition, she leaves six grandchildren, who live around the country, and two great grandchildren, plus daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, legions of nephews and nieces, spouses of the foregoing, etc.

A funeral service for Joan will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 24, 2023, at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 100 South 10th St., Richmond, Indiana 47374.

Interment will follow in New Lisbon Cemetery, located in Jackson Township, SW corner of the intersection of 800 East County Road and 550 North County Road, Union City, Randolph County, Indiana, 47390, beside the New Lisbon Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 799 East 550 N, Union City, Indiana.

Riggle-Waltermann Mortuary is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Christian Church, PO Box 216, Richmond, Indiana 47375-0216, or Richmond Art Museum, 350 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond, Indiana 47374.