in loving memory of
Miriam Martin
July 1, 1939 – December 16, 2024

Memorial Service

Memorial Service and Reception
Saturday, January 11, 2:00 p.m.
Prelude and Slideshow before the service
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Both events at Park View Mennonite Church.
Reception and sharing follows the service in the Fellowship Hall.

If unable to attend in person, join the live-stream, or view it later,
by clicking on the image below.
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Obituary
Miriam Elizabeth Martin, 85, passed away on December 16, 2024. She was born on July 1, 1939 in Wayne County, Ohio to H. Paul and B. Frances Eberly Martin. When she was nine years old, the family moved to Virginia and she grew up on a farm near the village of Pleasant Valley. Her foster brothers, Bronson H. Knight and Jack A. Knight, joined the family in the 1950’s. 
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Her parents and Bronson are deceased. She is survived by Jack Knight and his children and grandchildren of Texas and California. Also surviving are numerous cousins and their offspring as well as close friends who have provided support and inspiration through the years. 

Miriam graduated from EMHS in 1957, the Reading Hospital School of Nursing in Pennsylvania in 1960, the University of Colorado in 1966 and 1967, and the University of Iowa in 1983 with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. During her life, she was a professional nurse and nurse educator. Her teaching career took her to Kentucky, Virginia, Iowa, South Carolina, and Indiana. She taught at Eastern Mennonite College (now Eastern Mennonite University) in the early 1970’s and served as Chair of the Nursing Department at Goshen College, IN from 1990-1998. Her professional research focused on cross-cultural health practices and aging issues. In retirement she volunteered at Brethren Mennonite Heritage Center and was active in the Early Cemetery Association. She was a member of the Park View Mennonite Church. 

Throughout her life, Miriam enjoyed traveling with friends to both foreign and domestic destinations. She had a love for art and tried her hand at painting in midlife and collected works of a variety of artists over the years. Her love for mountains never ceased. She enjoyed the mountains while living in Colorado and here in the Shenandoah Valley. Retirement gave her the opportunity to read widely. Some of her favorite authors were Madeleine L’Engle, Joan Chittister, Richard Rohr, Barbara Brown Taylor, Kahill Gibran, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Penny, Sara Paratsky, and Mary Oliver. In recent years, she especially enjoyed the works of Native American and African American authors. 

The memorial service for Miriam will be held at Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 College St, Harrisonburg, VA, on Saturday, January 11, 2025, starting at 2:00 p.m. In honor of her memory, donations can be made to the Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center, PO Box 1563, Harrisonburg, VA 22803.