CARIBOU – Geneva “Ginny” M. Wakem, 95, wife of the late J. Herbert Wakem, died Feb. 28, 2007, in Caribou, after a brief illness. She was born July 1, 1911, in Limestone, the daughter of Siad and Sadie (Simon) Meelan. She was educated in the Limestone and Binghamton, N.Y. school systems. Ginny took up residence in Caribou in 1929 and was employed by her brother-in-law, Joe Sleeper, at his general store. In 1936, she married J. Hebert Wakem and became a lifelong resident of Caribou. Ginny was a communicant of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church and was a member of the Daughters of Isabella. A charter member of the Cary Medical Center hospital auxiliary, she volunteered in the oncology clinic and was a volunteer Red Cross aid. Golfing, playing bridge, cooking and sharing her native Lebanese cuisine and spending time with her large extended family were her favorite pastimes. Her dream came true when her beloved Red Sox won the World Series. She was predeceased by her husband, J. Herbert Wakem in 1972. She is survived by a son, David Wakem and his wife, Dorothy, of Caribou; and a daughter, Alyce Nobis and her husband, David, of Hingham, Mass.; two grandchildren, Catherine and her husband, Robert Williamson III, of Chandler, Ariz., and Andrew Wakem and his wife, Elizabeth; and a great-granddaughter, Morgan Fernald, all of Belfast. She is also survived by a sister, Dorothy Freme of Greenville, S.C.; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by brothers, Nelson and Mitchell; sisters, Alice Gabriel, Alma Sleeper, Dee Troy, Mary Winn, Arlene Sullivan and Hannah Meelan. Friends may call 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Mockler Funeral Home, 24 Reservoir St., Caribou. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, with the Very Rev. Jean-Paul Labrie, pastor, officiating, in a Mass of Christian burial. Spring interment will take place at New Holy Rosary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, friends who wish to contribute in memory of Ginny may do so to Caribou Community Wellness Center, 55 Bennett Dr., Caribou, ME 04736, or to Jefferson Cary Foundation, P.O. Box 89, Caribou, ME. Envelopes may also be obtained through the funeral home. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments immediately after the service at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
GENEVA ‘GINNY’ M. WAKEM
