Geraldine Bean

Geraldine Bean died in Louisville, Colorado on November 30, 2012 after a brief illness. Geraldine was born in Fort Morgan on July 13, 1928, the first child of Clayton Bowles and Elva McCloud Bowles of New Raymer, Colorado. The family lived on a dry-land farm where Clayton grew winter wheat and raised Hereford cattle. Elva taught school at New Raymer Elementary. Gerry grew up during tough times on the prairie. Her childhood encompassed the great depression, the dust bowl and the war years. She was a top student at Fort Morgan High School where she graduated with honors in 1946. Within a year of graduation, she met and married a young Air Force first lieutenant, Manley L. Bean. During their early years together, Manley and Gerry traveled the world courtesy of the USAF. Her favorite billet was St. Mihiel, France from 1954-56. The couple sailed home from Europe on the S.S. United States (the fastest ocean liner in the world at that time). After Manley's retirement from the military in 1958, the family moved to Boulder. Geraldine matriculated as a freshman at the University of Colorado in 1962. She received her B.A. degree in 1966 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Ph.D degree in 1970 and began a career as a college educator. Doctor Bean taught economic history at Metro State, Colorado State University and the University of Colorado in Boulder. She authored the book Charles Boettcher: A Study in Pioneer Western Enterprise, published in 1976. Gerry and Manley were both active in the Democratic Party of Boulder County. In 1972, Geraldine was elected for a six year term as a Regent of Colorado University. In 2004 she retired from teaching and received a Presidential Citation for her service to the University of Colorado. Geraldine is survived by her daughter Susan Alvey of Hotchkiss, Colorado, son Mark Bean of Salisbury, Massachusetts, and three siblings - Phyllis Dollerschell of Sterling, Jim Bowles of Piedmont, South Dakota and Richard Bowles of Woodland Park. She has five grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Memorial services will be on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at Darrell Howe Mortuary in Lafayette. She will be interred at a later date alongside Manley at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Amesbury for Africa, P.O. Box 263, Amesbury, MA 01913. The donations will be used to buy books in English and Swahili for students at the Esabalu Primary Schools in Esabalu, Kenya.