Corinne Mondello Dowden

On Friday, March 14, 2025, Corinne Mondello Dowden or "Mammaw" as she was so lovingly referred to, left this earth to rest with our Heavenly Father.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, March 17, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. She will be laid to rest at Kisatchie Cemetery in Kisatchie. There will be a rosary at 10:00 AM on Monday, March 17, with visitation following until 12:30 at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home.

Corinne was born July 3, 1919, in Powhatan, Louisiana to Joseph and Mary Mondello, Sicilian immigrants who came from Italy to America in the early 1900's. She was the first born of seven children. Corinne was so many things to so many people in her 105 years and 8-1/2 months here on earth. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher. She was a devoted and faithful Christian with a generous loving spirit and her endearing personality naturally drew others to her. It seems everyone she met became lifelong friends, many of whom she considered family. She made everyone feel like "someone", thus making her always loved and cherished. To put it simply, to know her was to love her and she will be dearly missed.

Affectionately known as "Miss Corinne", she graduated from Natchitoches High School and Louisiana State Normal School in Natchitoches and later NSU with a master's degree in Home Economics. She retired from Natchitoches Parish School Board with 35 years of teaching Home Economics. She met her handsome husband in 1944 while teaching at Kisatchie.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Stephen Grant Dowden, Sr., parents Joe and Mary Mondello. Siblings and spouses, Annie and Lance Rabalais, Josephine Marcotte, Frank Mondello, John & Carol Mondello, Joe and Rosie Mondello, and Sam and Isabell Mondello. Daughter-in-laws, Renee Dowden and Geri Free.

She is survived by her three children Stephen Dowden (Linda), Delores Deason (Richard) and Joseph Carey Dowden (Angela). Surviving grandchildren are Grant (Kayla), Chris (Joy), Blake (Cherie), Jacob (Libby), Sarah Dowden, Amy Deason, Sally Murchison (Tyler), and Madison Dowden. Great-grandchildren survivors are Hunter Dowden (Brooklynn), Harlea Teakell (Joel), Victoria Dowden, Georgia Dowden, Madison Lowe, Connor Lowe, Ava Bijeaux, Farrah Murchison, Lane Murchison, Jude loppoto, Elizabeth loppolo, Lukas Schroeder and 6 great-great grandchildren, Adleigh and Eli Teekell, Jackson, Graham, and Lorraine Dowden. A host of Nieces and Nephews, all of whom she loved.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Grant Dowden, Chris Dowden, Blake Dowden, Jacob Dowden, Tyler Murchison, and Jude loppolo. Honorary pallbearers are Charles Ray and Bobby Hays.

The family would also like to thank Dr. Jack Fair and his staff for the wonderful care that they gave her during her last years.