Mary McIver

Wasilla resident Mary K. McIver, 70, passed away Nov. 20 at the home of her son, Galen, after a long battle with colon cancer.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 1015 S. Check Street, Wasilla. Burial will be at Wasilla Aurora Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Galen McIver and nephews, Ken Cardell, Corky Wilson, Mike Kish, Tom Upchurch and Dean Musliu.

McIver was born Oct. 15, 1937, in Rawlins, Wyo., to George and Clara Joecks. She was the oldest of six children. McIver graduated from high school in Guernsey, Wyo., in 1955. She then graduated from Parks Secretarial School in Denver and returned to Guernsey, where she met and married Farris McIver in 1957. After their wedding the couple left for Alaska. In 2002, Farris desired warmer weather, so they moved to Jacksonville, Ore. Her love for Alaska, family and valued friends brought McIver back to Alaska in July 2000.

She celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in July in Oregon, and her 70th birthday in October in Alaska with family and friends.

When McIver’s son was young she became involved with the Boy Scouts of America, where she served as den mother and on the executive board of the Western Alaska Council. She received the Silver Fawn Award, the first in Alaska, for her work with the Boy Scouts.

Her passion was quilting. She was involved with the Valley Quilters and Log Cabin Quilters, helping make service quilts. In 1996, McIver helped her friend Melodye in her quilting store, Stitches, until 1999, when the store closed. She then went to work for the Mat-Su Borough in Palmer.

McIver is survived by son, Galen (Donna) McIver of Wasilla; brother, Jack (Martha) Joecks of Guernsey; sisters, Joan Casner of Cheyenne, Wyo., Rosemary (Ted) Wilson of Big Lake, Nacoal (Joel) Schad of Casper, Wyo., and Nancy Gerhardt of Mandan, N.D.; granddaughters, Bridget Partain of Anchorage, Caroline (Jason) Urban of Kodiak; great-grandchildren, Jason Urban, Aliya and Tessa Partain; and husband, Farris.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Mat-Su Regional Homecare and Hospice, 950 E. Bogard Road, Suite 132, Wasilla 99654.