Frances Malady

Malady, Frances Loraine Madison - Frances ("Fran") Loraine Malady, age 85, passed away peacefully at home with her grandson and daughter by her side on Sunday, March 16, 2008. She was born in Hibbing, Minn., on July 23, 1922, to Huldah Marie Wierima, and experienced a joyful northern Minnesota Finnish homestead childhood reared by her beloved grandparents, Sebeka pioneers, Albert and Helma Wierima. Fran graduated from Sebeka High School in 1940, and went on to complete teachers training at Walker Teachers College in Walker, Minn. Fran then came back to the Sebeka area to teach one-room eight-grade country school for two years. She moved to Chicago in 1943, and began working for the Teletype Corporation, where she began as a war-effort woman working in the factory. Eventually over the years, she became one of the first women supervisors (of editorial production of technical publications). John Skultety began showing Fran to Chicago not long after her arrival. Fran and John were married on March 26, 1949, and her one daughter, Nadine, was born in 1951. John died in 1961, and Fran remarried Harold Malady in 1966. Fran and Harold owned small businesses in Randolph and Park Rapids, Minn., before settling to live in Hopkins, Minn., for many years. Harold died in 1988, and Fran came to Madison to live with her daughter and grandson, David. During the past 20 years, she had been a volunteer with the Middleton Senior Center and provided great support to her local and extended family and friends. Fran was very interested in following progressive politics (although she read the comics in the papers first), and since moving to Wisconsin she became a loyal UW-Madison Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers fan. She is survived by her daughter, Nadine Marks; and her grandson, David Marks of Madison; cousins, Virginia Wierima of Madison, Rosemarie Wierima and Mavis (Denny) Eckert of Sebeka, Minn., and Jim Wierima of St. Croix Falls, Minn.; good friend, Eddie Dormanen of Detroit Lakes, Minn.; as well as numerous other relatives and friends. Interment of her cremated remains will occur after a small family gathering at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in St. Paul, Minn., at 2 p.m., on Friday, March 21, 2008. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Paralyzed Veterans of America or donors choice.