MARQUETTE, MI – Miriam Ann (Elder) Hilton, age 96, of Marquette, entered eternal life Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Miriam Ann Elder was born on December 19, 1924, in Kermanshah, Iran, to Ruth (Roche) and John Elder, Presbyterian missionaries.
From that moment, she was surrounded by love. Her siblings, Bill (Qamar), Alice (Roy Leake), Joe (Joann), David (Betty Jean), and Louise (James Lund) filled her life with joy, traveling many miles over the years to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Her parents’ siblings, especially her aunt Agnes Roche, looked after her on her return to the United States from Iran in 1940.
She had many loving and demanding teachers at the Community School, Walnut Hill School, Wellesley College, Iowa State University, Northern Michigan University and the University of Michigan. They gave her a love of the written, spoken and sung word which brightened her life and made possible several semesters of teaching at NMU and the writing of NMU, The First 75 Years.
She married her beloved Earl Hilton, in 1947, and their marriage was blessed by five children: Ann (Bill Fisher), Susan (Rachel Harwood), John (Eve Silberman), Margaret (Stephen Godwin), and Robert (Beverly Hagerdon). All celebrated with their parents their 50th anniversary and shared loving tributes to their father following his death on December 28, 2002. Their lives, full of love and service, have been a delight.
Earl came to Marquette as a member of the English Department at NMU in 1950 and for 30 years enjoyed his colleagues, his teaching, his students, his writing and fly fishing around the UP. She and Earl enjoyed having friends sharing their home, among them, students from China, India, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, Korea, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Tennessee.
Miriam enjoyed the friends who worked with her in Girl Scouts, NMU Women. AAUW puppeteers, Marquette General Hospital volunteers, Marquette Coalition for Emergency Services, Tuesday Group of Friends and the Marquette Senior Day Care Center where she was volunteer director for 20 years. She was especially blessed by the pastors, choir directors, fellow Elders, Deacons, Stephen Ministers, Rebecca Circle sisters and friends in the kitchen of the First Presbyterian Church. Through Church Women United, she was joined in service to Christian women in other churches and around the world. Abundantly blessed, cooking and singing, listening and laughing, she shared God’s blessing with His children she met on her journey.
Her parents are deceased as are also her brother, William and his wife, Qamar, her brothers-in-law, Roy Leake and James Lund, sister-in-law Betty Jean Elder and daughter-in-law, Paula Shanks. She is survived by her children, seven grandchildren: Elizabeth Fisher-Pai (Rish Pai), Edward (Ashley) Fisher, Kati Shanks, Miriam and James Godwin (Kathryn Huryk), Miles (Lis Meiss) and Aaron Earl Hilton, and two great- grandchildren, Dash and Wrenna Pai.
Her children are grateful for the excellent caregivers at Brookridge Assisted Living who became family to her during the long shutdown, and for the support of Lake Superior Hospice in her final weeks.
In her memory, friends are asked to consider contributions to the First Presbyterian Church, 120 N. Front Street, Marquette, MI 49855 or the Earl and Miriam Hilton Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o NMU Foundation, 607 Cohodas Hall, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855.
Arrangements for a memorial service at First Presbyterian Church in November will be announced.
Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com.
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