Daughter of Lester & Virginia (Hill) Chrisman.
Married to Jerry Howard.
===========================
From the Omaha World Herald on 24 Nov 2015
A year after Jeanene Bang moved to Omaha from rural Iowa, her friend and distant cousin Shannon Howard called and asked: “Are you ready to have some fun?”
“Certainly,” Bang responded.
With that, the Last of the Red Hat Mamas was born.
A chapter of the international Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Mamas are part of “an unorganized organization,” Bang said.
No business meetings — “we just go out and eat and have fun and take part in any local festivities that we can,” she said.
Bang and Howard started the local group in 2003 with five members, and it quickly grew.
Howard and several of the members were cancer survivors, so raising awareness of the disease became part of their mission — in addition to enjoying life.
Three years after the initial phone call, in 2006, Howard’s cancer returned and eventually took her life.
The group attended Howard’s funeral the same way they attended all their meetings — in red hats.
When the group began planning a gift exchange last winter, they decided to call it off and give the money to charity instead.
Giving each other presents seemed silly because “we all have enough stuff,” Bang said.
So the group took the money that would have been spent on Christmas gifts and donated it to Goodfellows.
Goodfellows, a charity operated by The World-Herald, provides local, low-income individuals and families with one-time emergency assistance during the year or vouchers to purchase groceries for a holiday dinner or clothing for children. Every dollar donated to Goodfellows goes to those in need. The World-Herald pays its own administrative costs.
Bang said the group chose Goodfellows because the organization helps in multiple ways rather than being dedicated to just one cause.
“Goodfellows helps people throughout the year but especially at Christmas and with children, so we felt like it was a great organization,” Bang said.
Because Howard was the one who started the group, the $70 donation was made in her name, specifically: “in memory of Queen Shannon, the last of the Red Hat Mamas.”
“She was the one who brought us all together,” Bang said.
Married to Jerry Howard.
===========================
From the Omaha World Herald on 24 Nov 2015
A year after Jeanene Bang moved to Omaha from rural Iowa, her friend and distant cousin Shannon Howard called and asked: “Are you ready to have some fun?”
“Certainly,” Bang responded.
With that, the Last of the Red Hat Mamas was born.
A chapter of the international Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Mamas are part of “an unorganized organization,” Bang said.
No business meetings — “we just go out and eat and have fun and take part in any local festivities that we can,” she said.
Bang and Howard started the local group in 2003 with five members, and it quickly grew.
Howard and several of the members were cancer survivors, so raising awareness of the disease became part of their mission — in addition to enjoying life.
Three years after the initial phone call, in 2006, Howard’s cancer returned and eventually took her life.
The group attended Howard’s funeral the same way they attended all their meetings — in red hats.
When the group began planning a gift exchange last winter, they decided to call it off and give the money to charity instead.
Giving each other presents seemed silly because “we all have enough stuff,” Bang said.
So the group took the money that would have been spent on Christmas gifts and donated it to Goodfellows.
Goodfellows, a charity operated by The World-Herald, provides local, low-income individuals and families with one-time emergency assistance during the year or vouchers to purchase groceries for a holiday dinner or clothing for children. Every dollar donated to Goodfellows goes to those in need. The World-Herald pays its own administrative costs.
Bang said the group chose Goodfellows because the organization helps in multiple ways rather than being dedicated to just one cause.
“Goodfellows helps people throughout the year but especially at Christmas and with children, so we felt like it was a great organization,” Bang said.
Because Howard was the one who started the group, the $70 donation was made in her name, specifically: “in memory of Queen Shannon, the last of the Red Hat Mamas.”
“She was the one who brought us all together,” Bang said.
Daughter of Lester & Virginia (Hill) Chrisman.
Married to Jerry Howard.
===========================
From the Omaha World Herald on 24 Nov 2015
A year after Jeanene Bang moved to Omaha from rural Iowa, her friend and distant cousin Shannon Howard called and asked: “Are you ready to have some fun?”
“Certainly,” Bang responded.
With that, the Last of the Red Hat Mamas was born.
A chapter of the international Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Mamas are part of “an unorganized organization,” Bang said.
No business meetings — “we just go out and eat and have fun and take part in any local festivities that we can,” she said.
Bang and Howard started the local group in 2003 with five members, and it quickly grew.
Howard and several of the members were cancer survivors, so raising awareness of the disease became part of their mission — in addition to enjoying life.
Three years after the initial phone call, in 2006, Howard’s cancer returned and eventually took her life.
The group attended Howard’s funeral the same way they attended all their meetings — in red hats.
When the group began planning a gift exchange last winter, they decided to call it off and give the money to charity instead.
Giving each other presents seemed silly because “we all have enough stuff,” Bang said.
So the group took the money that would have been spent on Christmas gifts and donated it to Goodfellows.
Goodfellows, a charity operated by The World-Herald, provides local, low-income individuals and families with one-time emergency assistance during the year or vouchers to purchase groceries for a holiday dinner or clothing for children. Every dollar donated to Goodfellows goes to those in need. The World-Herald pays its own administrative costs.
Bang said the group chose Goodfellows because the organization helps in multiple ways rather than being dedicated to just one cause.
“Goodfellows helps people throughout the year but especially at Christmas and with children, so we felt like it was a great organization,” Bang said.
Because Howard was the one who started the group, the $70 donation was made in her name, specifically: “in memory of Queen Shannon, the last of the Red Hat Mamas.”
“She was the one who brought us all together,” Bang said.
Married to Jerry Howard.
===========================
From the Omaha World Herald on 24 Nov 2015
A year after Jeanene Bang moved to Omaha from rural Iowa, her friend and distant cousin Shannon Howard called and asked: “Are you ready to have some fun?”
“Certainly,” Bang responded.
With that, the Last of the Red Hat Mamas was born.
A chapter of the international Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Mamas are part of “an unorganized organization,” Bang said.
No business meetings — “we just go out and eat and have fun and take part in any local festivities that we can,” she said.
Bang and Howard started the local group in 2003 with five members, and it quickly grew.
Howard and several of the members were cancer survivors, so raising awareness of the disease became part of their mission — in addition to enjoying life.
Three years after the initial phone call, in 2006, Howard’s cancer returned and eventually took her life.
The group attended Howard’s funeral the same way they attended all their meetings — in red hats.
When the group began planning a gift exchange last winter, they decided to call it off and give the money to charity instead.
Giving each other presents seemed silly because “we all have enough stuff,” Bang said.
So the group took the money that would have been spent on Christmas gifts and donated it to Goodfellows.
Goodfellows, a charity operated by The World-Herald, provides local, low-income individuals and families with one-time emergency assistance during the year or vouchers to purchase groceries for a holiday dinner or clothing for children. Every dollar donated to Goodfellows goes to those in need. The World-Herald pays its own administrative costs.
Bang said the group chose Goodfellows because the organization helps in multiple ways rather than being dedicated to just one cause.
“Goodfellows helps people throughout the year but especially at Christmas and with children, so we felt like it was a great organization,” Bang said.
Because Howard was the one who started the group, the $70 donation was made in her name, specifically: “in memory of Queen Shannon, the last of the Red Hat Mamas.”
“She was the one who brought us all together,” Bang said.
