Angela E. Mutter

Angela Esther "Angie" Mutter was born to Catherine Mary Scanlon and Samuel Lee McClaughry on April 15, 1917. She died on February 20, 2022 at the age of 104. She was the oldest resident at Fitzsimons Veterans Community Living Center in Aurora, Colorado and had resided there longer than anyone previously. She was the matriarch of several generations. She lived her life with kindness, acceptance and grace and will be missed by all who knew her.

On her 103rd birthday, her son David Mutter wrote this: "Angela McClaughry was born on April 15th, 1917! Sixteen presidents, the Great Depression, two World Wars and many other events she has lived through. My mom's family were original settlers of Palos, Illinois in the 1850's having left their home in County Longford, Ireland. Her relatives and ancestors include Revolutionary and Civil War figures, a Chicago Police Chief, Stateville and Leavenworth Wardens, and the infamous distant cousins, brothers Tom and Frank McClaury who met their demise at the OK Corral. A forest Preserve at 119th and Kean in Palos bears her father's name "McClaughry Springs" which was originally their family farm for generations. She has had a long full life."

Angie was preceded in death by both parents, spouses: Clarence (Curly) Tarter & Arthur Mutter; as well as all of her siblings: Marion Kristof (James), Richard, Dorothy Smith (John), Donald (Helen), Mary, and Samuel; and three of her five children, Arthur III of Omaha, Nebraska, Mildred Heitman (Robert) of Durham, North Carolina, and Barbara Tarter Young (Ace) of Chicago. Her two remaining children are: David Mutter (Connie) from Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Joan Gallegos (Don), of Aurora, Colorado. Angie was grandmother to eight: Joseph Heitman (Mary), Jennifer Gurney (Todd), Mark Young (Julie), Bridget Peterson (Matthew), Chrysephanie Hamm (Sean), Daniel Mutter (Kendell), Luke Mutter (Lizzy), and Javier Ordonez (Katie). great-grandmother of twenty, and great-great- grandmother to seven. In addition, she is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins across the country.

Angie's mother was a school principal in Chicago prior to having a family. Her mother passed away when Angie was only three years old. She was raised by her father and step-mother, Mildred Sawicki. Her father was a house mover by trade, using horses to relocate and preserve houses, rolling them through the Chicago streets, on logs, to clear the way for construction of parks and highways. Angie lived in a house her father had moved from what is now, Hamilton Park, until she moved from Chicago. Angie was born in Chicago and lived on the South Side more than 50 years. While Angie lived in Chicago, she was an elementary school secretary and a uniformed Chicago Police Crossing Guard which was a part of the Chicago Police Department. She also worked was as a sales person at a number of department stores.

In the 1970s, Angie and Art moved to Niles, Illinois. There Angie learned to drive and received her very first drivers license at almost 60 years old. In the early 1980s they moved to Orlando, Florida and she worked for a short time as a nanny. In the late 1980s, they moved to Clifton, Colorado to be closer to their family in Colorado. Angie loved her garden and nature, at this home on the Western Slope. During this time in their lives, Angie and Art were very interested in genealogy and occasionally traveled to do genealogy research. They would attend family get togethers around the country to meet relatives they had never known existed. Other hobbies Angie enjoyed were: playing the piano, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and pinochle. She was in a bowling league for a number of years, enjoyed swimming, walking, and biking on an adult trike. She received her first 2 wheel bike for her 50th birthday but sadly never was able to ride it. Her favorite hobby, though, was spending time with family.

Nearly 15 years ago, Angie and Art moved into Fitzsimons Veterans Community Living Center. Art passed a few months after they moved in - in 2007. But Angie thrived in this community for many years after. Her hobbies at Fitzsimons included: playing poker, singing in the choir, board games, crocheting, knitting and, of course, Jeopardy. She was a voracious reader and puzzler. She did the daily crossword puzzle in the paper, in ink. She took many lifelong learning classes at Fitzsimons. She was elected to serve as the head of the Resident Council twice. Up until her final few months, Angie was mobile with the use of her walker. She could often be seen strolling around the building and made a point of speaking to all the new residents. She continued to travel to see her children in Illinois and North Carolina, and family in Arizona, up until the last five years or so. She loved going out to eat with family and having huge parties for each holiday - Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays. Her 100th birthday bash was epic.

Angie was a believer and a life-long Catholic. She lived her life with Christian values and was a giver. She attended church regularly throughout her life and continued to receive weekly communion while at Fitzsimons. She had Last Rites in December and quipped that she was too old to sin anymore. She had quite a sense of humor.

Angie accepted everyone and loved unconditionally. She loved to laugh and had a heart that was twice the size of most. She wasn't perfect - she cheated at Scrabble and was even known to swear on occasion (especially if bowling was involved). But she was a good person, through and through. And she will be sorely missed and will be beloved forever.

Born a McClaughry, Angie was solid-gold Irish. So we send Angie off with this Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.