Miriam S. Collier, 98, of Durant died Sunday, Nov. 29 at Wilton Retirement Community.
Public graveside services will be Saturday, Dec. 5, at 11:30 a.m. at Muscatine Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the University of Iowa and at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com.
Miriam was born in Muscatine on April 22, 1922 to Charles and Dorothy (Leonard) SyWassink. She graduated from Muscatine High School and St. Luke’s School of Nursing, Davenport. She then pursued her dream of a nursing career in Denver, Colorado.
As World War II was beginning, she and her church sweetheart, Warren Collier, were married on Jan. 4, 1944 at Sweetland United Methodist Church. The following day, Warren left for the service. After the war, she put her nursing career on hold and became a full-time wife, nurse/mother of six children, and partner in a dairy operation south of Durant. After 72 years of marriage, Warren preceded her in death on Oct. 23, 2016.
She was a life-long member of Sweetland United Methodist Church and UMW and Durant Garden Club.
Miriam loved baking, cooking, sewing and always had a vegetable and flower garden. She spent many hours cooking and delivering meals for others, and always shared her beautiful flowers in arrangements with family and friends.
Her family was her life and she always had a knack for showing up when they needed her most.
Miriam is survived by her daughters Linda (Dale) Hupp of Riverdale, and Kathy Lyon of Clarence; sons Gordon (Anne) Collier of Muscatine, Ken (Lynne) Collier of Clintonville, Wisconsin, and Jim (Vickie) Collier of Durant; 18 grandchildren; and 36 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; daughter and son-in-law Judy and Doug Johnson; grandson Geoffrey Collier; son-in-law Greg Lyon; and brother Herbert SyWassink.
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