Miriam Lucille (Hilburn) Beaman Obituary (1939

Miriam Lucille (Hilburn) Beaman loved to make people smile, whether it was a kind word, a joke or a song, she wanted to see that person's face light up. Miriam was born in Nevada, Iowa to Howard Earl Hilburn and Velma Louise (Pitcher) Hilburn on May 24, 1939. She had two younger sisters, Marcia (Hilburn) Handsaker and Mary Anne Hilburn (1948 - 1952). Growing up, Miriam loved basketball, she would practice every night & day at the family dairy farm after chores were done. Some would say she had the best "girl" jump shot that graduated from Fernald High School. Music was another passion for Miriam, she loved to sing & perform. And that's just what she did while attending St. Olaf College on her way to becoming a teacher. Physical Education was the field she chose to focus on, which lead her to Pueblo, Colorado. While in Pueblo she meet Jim Beaman on St. Patrick's Day, found the love of her life, and they were married soon after. Jim and Miriam moved to Colorado Springs and had a daughter, Ryan Louise (Beaman) Black on February 7, 1971. They decided to build their own home in Ute Pass where they lived for over 30 years. They attended Holy Rosary Chapel where Miriam played the pipe organ. The running joke was that she (the only Lutheran) taught the Catholics how to sing. After Jim's passing in 1995, Miriam moved back to Iowa to look after her aging parents. While living in Iowa, Miriam became a member of the Persian Pickle Quilting group. She enjoyed the friendships that were made and was in amazement of the talent that surrounded her. In 2004, Miriam's granddaughter Aubrey Black, born to Ryan and Charley Black, was followed by KC Black in 2008. During that time, Miriam wanted to be closer to her grandchildren and moved to Washington. She lived in and around the Poulsbo area for 10 years. She always loved the ocean and would join Charley, Ryan and the kids on all their camping trips. One of Miriam's great joys was her family. She was also an aunt to 3 nephews & 2 nieces; great aunt to their children; and even a great great aunt. On January 13, 2017 Miriam joined Jim, they are back to singing & performing together again. Miriam will forever be in the hearts and memories of so many. A service will be held in Colorado at later date. An online memorial can be seen at www.poulsbomortuary.com