- Date Of Birth: June 20, 1925
- Date Of Death: May 15, 2023
- State: New Mexico
Mary Gwendolyn “Gwen” Warren Dean Schofield was born June 20, 1925, in Rockford, IL, the 4th of seven daughters, to James and Ellen Rutherford Warren. She was born just before the Great Depression and into great poverty. Her parents moved to Crow Agency, MT when Gwen was three where her father and mother’s father worked teaching the Crow Native Americans, who were hunters, how to farm. Her parents were extremely diligent and hard-working.
Gwen started college at Polytechnic Institute in Billings, MT. Because of the shortage of teachers during WW2, and even though they didn’t have degrees, she and her best friend, Helen, were hired to teach school at Valier, MT. It was there she met her future husband, Raymond Dean, who had just returned from Germany where he had been a POW. They were married three months later on March 3, 1946, in Great Falls, MT. They had four children, two boys and two girls in the next five years.
Religion was always very important in Gwen’s life. While in Valier, MT, she and Ray were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ray loved to fly and worked as a crop duster. He and Gwen’s dad flew to Afton, Wy where Ray was hired as a test pilot for an agricultural aircraft factory. The Star Valley and Afton area was 95% LDS and they converted to the LDS Church and the entire family except for the youngest, Cherry, was baptized in April 1958. Cherry was baptized a year later by her father.
Gwen went on to finish her bachelor’s degree in education at Utah State University in Logan, UT and went on to teach for another 30 years. She taught in Star Valley, Wy, Tremonton, Ut, Albany, Ga, Liberal, KS, Hawaii, Shelly and Terreton, ID. She later volunteered teaching at the DUI Literacy program in Farmington, NM.
Gwen was an excellent hard-working mother and example to everyone. She taught her daughters to be excellent cooks and seamstresses and all her children were excellent housekeepers. She sacrificed so that her children could have music lessons and attend cultural events. She will be remembered for being an excellent cook and having big gardens and canning. She was renowned for her dill pickles.
Gwen was a strong member and very proud of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions. She died believing completely in the divinity of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of the LDS Church. She and her husband served a 2-year Mission in the Dusseldorf, Germany.
After Raymond passed away, Gwen married Charlie Schofield. They promised each other five years and were married for 13 years before Charlie passed away at 100 years of age.
She was an avid humanitarian in her own community as well as worldwide. She was very generous and felt that continued education was a top priority, setting up financial support to help with her great grandchildren’s educational needs.
She will be loved and missed by more than just her posterity. She has been a great example and will continue to shape our lives with her wisdom, guidance, teachings, and memories.
She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond E. Dean; second husband Charles B. Schofield; parents James G. Warren and Ellen E Warren; her six sisters; son Dana D. Dean, and granddaughter Randilyn Dean. She is survived is by son Alan (Debbie)c Dean of York, NE, and Cherry (Dennis) Boggs of Billings, MT. She is survived by 24 of her 25 grandchildren and innumerable great grandchildren. She was accompanied in death by her daughter Melody Ann Ivie of Farmington, NM.
The family would like to extend their appreciation in advance to all those who will attend. Cameras and the use of any type of recording devices will be prohibited in respect for Gwendolyn, Melody, and their families.
