Miriam Crawford

Miriam Crawford passed away March 31, 2012. Miriam Alice Weirick was born to Nelle Turner Weirick and George S. Weirick on May 30, 1925 in Colfax, Iowa. Her life in Colfax was a charmed one: when she was five, she cut the ribbon for the new paving for a road in Colfax. Her picture in the newpaper showed her determination wielding large scissors. On a visit to Des Moines with her Mother Nelle, Miriam was spotted by a photographer who asked permission to use her as a subject for a picture that ran in the fotogravure section of the Des Moines paper. Miriam was Valedictorian of her Colfax High School class 1943, attended Cottey College in Missouri and then received her B.A. from University of Iowa, Iowa City 1947. After graduation she taught school in Pueblo, Colorado greatly enjoying the mountains and western vistas. While there, she met a handsome former Naval Officer and trumpet player James Franklin Crawford. He was studying economics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. They married August 14th, 1949 and moved to Madison, Wisconsin where James attended University of Wisconsin. In Madison, their daughter Cathy Ann was born. Miriam had a lucky streak, winning a washing machine by sending in a picture of two year old Cathy and writing "This is why I need a washing machine!" She won! Miriam liked to tell that story and one realized how it illustrated her fine sense of humor as well as her creative and somewhat adventurous nature. In 1956, after her husband Jim received his PhD in Economics, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia where they would live the rest of their lives. That same year their son David Franklin Crawford was born, completing their family. Miriam was a wonderful homemaker, with a real skill in making memorable family dinners and creating Holiday decorations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and 4th of July. Her son David surely showed the same love of holidays and he would work with her to light up the house with wonderful Christmas lights. Miriam also worked 32-years with the Atlanta Public Schools. She began as a sixth grade Social Studies teacher in 1957. After receiving a Masters in Library Science from Emory, she became an elementary school Librarian, retiring in 1989 at E. Rivers School. Her teaching was honored with a Teacher of the Year Award. Her teaching experience was obvious at home, as Cathy and David, and eventually her grandsons, never lacked for paper, notebooks, pencils and kind help with whatever materials were needed to complete and present a project. Miriam was a life-long member of Alpha Delta Pi and P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), one of the pioneer societies for women founded in 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College. Miriam also served in her Church, Emory Presbyterian, participating for many years in the Women's group and "C is for Caring" Circle. She was a volunteer at the Carter Center in the 1980s. During her whole life she was a champion of Women's causes. After she and Jim retired, they enjoyed traveling with family, visiting Europe, Canada, Alaska and New England. Visits back to Colfax included stops at the Weirick Pharmacy founded by her Grandfather and still in the Weirick family. Miriam certainly knew how to make a most excellent Coke Float – much to the delight of Cathy, David and her Grandsons! Miriam was an active gardener, enjoying her yard and creating a lovely space of trees and flowers. Her garden was always more than a place for flowers. She played baseball, tetherball and badminton with her children and grandsons also. She was a regular tennis player – she and Jim doubling with their best friends Mary and Darwin Womack. Golf was another game she enjoyed. For many years her bridge club was a close-knit group, playing every week. She enjoyed the Atlanta Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Symphony as season ticket holder for many years. Miriam's older brother George T. Weirick pre-deceased her. Her husband James passed away in 2009. Miriam is survived by her son David, her daughter Cathy Vandenberg, a son-in-law Arthur Vandenberg, three grandsons, Paul Jacob Vandenberg, Michael Turner Vandenberg and Mark Stephen Vandenberg, her sisters-in-law Betty Weirick, Phyllis Brown, nieces Barbara Monroe, Beth Humphries, Belinda Williams, Brenda Pierce, Johnna Morton, Jean Wagner and Mona Benson. A Memorial Service will be held at Emory Presbyterian Church, 1886 North Decatur Rd., Atlanta, Georgia 30307 on Saturday April 7, 2012 at 1:00PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Emory Presbyterian Church, P.E.O. or the Alzheimer's Association.


Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033