Sylvia Eleanor Ghainer

Sylvia Eleanor Ghainer was born on August 7, 1937 and died peacefully on December 22, 2024 at the age of 87. Sylvia was born and raised in Michigan. She was an exchange student in high school in Denmark with Youth for Understanding. She was a graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, Western Michigan University with a BS degree, and Michigan State University with a MA degree. In more recent years, Sylvia studied at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.

Upon graduation from the University, she spent a third of a century teaching in elementary school, the last nine years in the first grade. She began her career teaching at the Johannesburg-Lewiston schools and spent the rest of her career teaching in the Lansing School District.

Sylvia spent summers, since the 1940’s, at the family cottage on East Twin Lake in Lewiston, Michigan. In 1999, she built a log home on the family property on East Twin Lake and moved from East Lansing to Lewiston in 2000.

Since her first European trip in her teens, she has made many trips abroad. A dozen winter vacations were taken to Jamaica and southern Mexico. She has been to most of the U.S. states including Hawaii and Alaska, in 1969 via the Alaskan Highway. She enjoyed visits to Canada.

Sylvia enjoyed sports, especially downhill and cross-country skiing. The summers were busy with travels, tennis, golf, canoeing, sailing and water skiing.

Sylvia was raised in the Presbyterian Church but was most recently a member of the Lewiston Congregational United Church of Christ, the church she attended in the summers, as a child.

She was a member and past president of Alpha Gamma Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa. She was also a member of the International Honorary Educational Sorority. She was a member of and past Worthy Matron of the Lewiston Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. She was the Historian of the Lewiston Garden Club. She was a life member of the Lewiston Historical Society. She belonged to the Clan Ferguson Society of North America; South Western Michigan Watercolor Society in Battle Creek; Northern Michigan Artist Guild in Gaylord; Gaylord Area Council of the Arts -she had a watercolor painting in the February 2012, “Black and White with Ruby Red” exhibition; and finally Chief Shawano, Daughters of the American Revolution.

Art has always been a large part of her life. Sylvia spent several years in China painting and painted in oil and watercolor. She also practiced calligraphy. She studied “Ikebana, Ohara School” of Japanese Flower arranging when living in East Lansing. More recently she made her flower arrangements from twigs and flowers she found in the woods.

She is survived by her niece, Laura (John) Hoye of Jackson; nephews Stephen Ghainer of Lansing; Jeffrey Ghainer of East Lansing; grand Nephew Christopher Hoye of Jackson; cousins, Ronald (Sherry) Gainer of Virginia; Donna Gainer of East Lansing; DeeAnn Ferguson of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reuben and Doris Ghainer; brother Richard H. Ghainer; sister-in-law Mary J. Ghainer, cousin, Gordon Gainer; and cousin, William Ferguson.

Per Sylvia’s request, there will be a private graveside service in the Spring. Sylvia will be laid to rest at the Albert Township Cemetery in Lewiston. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lewiston Congregational United Church of Christ Memorial Fund at 3191 Kneeland Street, PO Box 282, Lewiston, MI 49756.