Mary Gwen Fayram

Mary Gwen Fayram died Friday, January 1, 2010 of a heart attack at UW Hospital in Madison.   Members of her family were present including her sons David J. and Richard R. Fayram, their wives Marilyn J. Fayram, and Elizabeth S. Fayram, and her grandchildren, Andrew H. Fayram, Abbie F. Pon and her husband Craig, Nathan J. Fayram, and Justin S. Fayram.     Gwen was the fourth of five children born to Frederick V. Meginness and Mary E. Roberts.   She was born on May 23, 1917 in Goldfield, Nevada, and was always proud of her Nevada roots.   Her grandmother, who owned a womens clothing and hat store, was among the first women business owners in Reno.   After graduation from the University of Nevada, she taught high school in Hawthorne, Nevada where she met her future husband, Jerome Fayram.   Jerry was stationed in Hawthorne with the Navy.   Everyone at the time thought it was strange to have a major Navy base so far from the sea, but during WWII, Hawthorne was home to the largest munitions depot in the U.S.   After the war, they moved to Washington, D.C.   (it was so flat!  and so wet!) for a period of two years until Jerry was released from the Navy.     They moved to Flint, Michigan where Jerry worked at AC Spark Plug as an engineer.   They had two children, David and Richard.   In Flint she first taught mothering skills to new mothers in a nursery school setting.   When Jerry died in 1957, she earned a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and subsequently taught homemaking at the Michigan School for the Deaf, until her retirement in 1988.   She moved to Madison in 1989 where all of her children and grandchildren live except Abbie and husband Craig who live in Albany, CA.   She also has two great-grandchildren, Isaac C. Fayram and Nessa C. Fayram who live in Madison.   There were also many others who affectionately knew Gwen as ""Grammy.""   A memorial service will be held at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Rd., Madison, with visitation from 4:00 pm until the time of service.   In lieu of flowers the family suggests that memorial contributions may be made in Gwen's name to the Alzheimer's and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, 517 N. Segoe Rd., Suite 301, Madison, WI   53705, or the American Cancer Society 8317 Elderberry Rd., Madison, WI   53717.