Gwen Munk

Gwen Fackrell Munk, 86, died on May 15, 2017 of congestive heart failure in her daughter’s home in West Jordan, Utah.  She was surrounded by her loving family who will miss her deeply.

Gwen was born June 15, 1930 to Israel Hoyt Fackrell and Mary Elma Nessen, the fifth of nine children. She attended Howell Elementary and graduated from Bear River High School. On April 7, 1949 she married her sweetheart, Mariner Donald Munk in the Logan temple. Together they raised five children, daughter Marilyn Carlson, son Kim (Elaine) Munk, daughters Leslie Munk, Valene (Lee) Hillman and Judi Jorgensen on the family farm in Howell, Utah. Her family meant everything to her.

Mom will especially be remembered for her cheerful disposition and her beautiful smile. She loved being with family and friends. She didn’t say a lot, but loved being in the midst of conversation and was a great listener.  She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served willingly wherever she was needed. Her faith and devotion to the Gospel are the great legacy she left for her family.

Gwen loved Howell and loved serving the people there. She established a community library, served as president of the Howell Booster Club and PTA president the year she and others fought to keep the elementary school in the community.

She loved spending the winters with Mariner in Mesa, Arizona, which she often said was like a second honeymoon for them.  She started pitching horseshoes with Mariner when she was 59 and quickly became very good. They traveled to competitions all over Utah and attended the 1993 National competition in South Dakota. She took first place in her division many times and has an entire cabinet full of trophies.

Gwen was an excellent seamstress and quilter. She made beautiful tricot quilts for each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was important to her that she was completely caught up before she passed away. She loved her garden and continued growing vegetables well into her eighties. She set an example of learning new things throughout her life. She bought a personal computer when they first came on the market and was determined to keep up with technology as best she could, learning to email, text and use the internet.

She is predeceased by her parents, husband, son-in-law Brett Milligan, two great-grandchildren, all of her older siblings and their spouses: Dale (Fern) Fackrell, Dona (Mel) Grover, Ruth (Chester) Stokes, and Marva (DeVere) Stokes.

She is survived by brothers Arvin (Luana) Fackrell, Dave (Dalene) Fackrell, and Dean (Pam) Fackrell and sister Myrna Bunnell; also her five children, sixteen grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Funeral services will be held in the Howell Ward building at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 20 with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 that morning. There will also be a viewing Friday, May 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Rogers and Taylor Funeral Home 111 North, 100 East, Tremonton, Utah.