.jpg)
Neighborhood pighb ho paradecelebrates99th birthday of Columbus-born m
atriarch
Friends, family and community members waved, cheered and danced in a drive-by parade to celebrate the 99th birthday of Dolores Bangas, the matriarch to a Columbus family of over 110 members, Thursday, April 2.
Bangas gasped, clapped and hugged as the parade, featuring a Columbus Police Department patrol unit, bikes, cars, trucks with trailers and more, drove past her viewing spot under the home’s carport. Dolores Bangas’ daughter Ramona Bangas organized the parade followed by a short celebration with cake attended by almost three dozen.
“Everybody just loves her,” Ramona said. “…It makes me feel good because some people get forgotten. And somebody, they see me, somebody’s gonna ask me, how’s your mom?”
Ramona said numerous family members said the parade and celebration were great. During the celebration, Dolores agreed that having her family around felt good though spent most of the time telling anecdotes about her personal life. She reminisced briefly about her age.
“I feel the same as I was when I was 12,” Dolores said then laughed. “The only thing is I get very emotional, cry and then I start laughing then I start singing.”
Dolores Bangas was born in 1927 in Columbus to a large family with 11 siblings. Her family lived in Houston for a time but eventually moved back to Columbus. Growing up, her father had a band that would regularly play music and hold shindigs in the evenings for friends and neighbors. Ramona said Dolores developed a strong passion for dance.
“She loves dancing because that’s what she grew up to, that’s what they used to do, have little shindigs in the evenings, on the weekends and whenever there was holidays,” Ramona said. “They would all get together and everybody’s families, and they would have dances. Her dad and his little band would play music.”
Ramona described how Dolores’ energy for dancing has never left her. She said her mother danced with 49 people during a fami ly gather ing for Thanksgiving last year. Ramona also said her Dolores’ love of dancing was passed along to majority of her children.
At age 13, Dolores decided to start working to help support her father and siblings. She landed a job as a waitress at a restaurant for members of the military in Houston as the start of World War 2 developed. Dolores described a back-and-forth conversation with her father about her decision.
“I said, ‘Dad, you work too hard, and they don’t pay you enough money.’ ‘Oh, it’s enough for the family,’ [he said.] ‘I know that, but I would like to help.’ He said, ‘What kind of job do you want?’ I said, ‘Whatever comes my way except for no mopping or no sweeping.’” Around the age of 21, Dolores met her future husband while waitressing. After their initial meeting, he left to fight in the war but later returned to reconnect and marry her. After 66 years of marriage, Dolores’ husband died 11 years ago due to health complications.
“I know my dad really loved my mom. He really did. He would do anything for her. He always tried to make her happy,” Ramona said. “He really loved us. He really loved her. He took good care of us when she had six children, but we never would go without.”
When the youngest of their six children reached the age of six and went to school, Dolores returned to work. Ramona said Dolores has consistently tried to attend family functions and keeps her door open for anyone who wants to visit.
“When [family members] come, one thing mom does do, and all the kids look forward to when they come, she blesses them with holy water,” Ramona said. “…I guess they feel like peace because she does that to them.”
Dolores’ children went on to have 17 grandchildren, and Dolores is now a great-great-grandmother in a family with over 110 direct family members.
“She can be loving, but she could be a little spitfire sometimes too, but she’s got a good heart,” Ramona said. “…Everybody loves her, but it’s her spirit, the way she brings herself around.”
