Mary Maraniss

Madison, Mary Maraniss, age 84, died Friday, January 27, 2006, while surrounded by her family at Meriter Hospital. Mary died due to respiratory failure after a brief illness with cancer. She was born August 22, 1921, in Superior, Nebraska, to parents Andrew Adair Cummins and Grace Elizabeth Dever. She was a graduate of Ann Arbor High School in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan before moving to Madison and graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Wisconsin in 1966. She worked as a book editor at the University of Wisconsin Press. Mary was married to Elliott Maraniss, former editor of the Madison Capital Times, for 65 years. After their retirement in 1983, they moved to Milwaukee where they lived until Elliott's death in May 2004. She is survived by her son, James (Gigi Kaeser) Maraniss of Amherst, Massachusetts; daughter, Jean (Michael) Alexander of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and son, David

(Linda) Maraniss of Washington D.C. and also Madison, WI. Her daughter Wendy (Brian Keeling) died in 1997. She is further survived by her nine grandchildren: Andrew, Dan, Ben, Sarah, James, Lucia, Elliott, Max and Dave; one great granddaughter, Heidi; two sisters, Barbara Edmonds and Jean (Joe) Chulak. Mary had two brothers, Robert and Phillip Cummins. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 AM on Monday, January 30, 2006, at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the University of Wisconsin School of Music.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road

Madison, WI 53705

608.238.3434