Miriam A. Wiseman

Miriam “Mims” Alice Wiseman, 92, of Cooperstown, ND died Thursday, February 9, 2017 at Griggs County Care Center in Cooperstown.

Miriam was born April 1, 1924 in East Liverpool, OH, the daughter of Arthur and Mildred (Thomas) Brown. She spent her childhood in Ohio where her family worked in the local pottery factories. Their experiences with kilns, clay, and pottery provided many interesting stories that Mims enjoyed sharing throughout her life. Immediately after high school she worked at the War Department in the records branch at Washington, DC and Newark, NJ. While there, she met her husband, Harold Wiseman, an Army Air Corps crew chief who was stationed nearby for aeronautics training. After WWII, they married in East Liverpool on October 27, 1945, and then settled at Harold’s childhood home near Williston, ND. Mims adapted well to life on the prairie, the city girl turned country, and they farmed there for 8 years. In 1953, Mims and Harold relocated to rural Cooperstown, ND where they farmed until 1977. They spent their retirement years living in Cooperstown, where they hosted many pie and porch parties with family and friends. Mims enjoyed reading, writing poetry, and keeping up her diaries. She loved her gardening, scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, and her rock collections. Her 25 years with the Homemakers Clubs were a great joy to her. She taught Sunday School more than 20 years and was active in many church activities at Bethlehem Evangelical and Zion Lutheran Church. She was a loving and patient caregiver, first to her three younger siblings after their father died at a young age, and then later to her husband. Mims moved into Bridgeview Assisted Living in Valley City in 2013, and to Griggs County Care Center in 2014.

She is survived by her brother, Stanley (Florence) Brown, Landsdale, PA; sister, Barbara (Robert) Chandler, Shallowater, TX; sister-in-law, Kathy (Hank) Lokay, Pittsburgh, PA; son, Rodney (Lois) Wiseman, Cooperstown, ND; daughter, Nancy (Robert) Wahlund, West Fargo, ND; 6 grandchildren, Thomas (Jennifer) Wahlund, Benjamin (Jennifer) Wahlund, Wendy (Matthew) Opsahl, Timothy (Paige Magelky) Wiseman, Stacey (Ryan) O’Keefe, and Samuel (Alicia) Wiseman; and great-grandchild, Annika Miriam Sophie Opsahl.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Donald Brown; and husband, Harold.

A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 101 10th St SE, Cooperstown, ND. Interment will be in the spring in Cooperstown Cemetery, Cooperstown, ND.