Miriam Thiems, age 92, passed away April 14, 2017 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Miriam, a native Floridian, was born May 31, 1924 in West Palm Beach, FL. Miriam lived a full and blessed life. She was the first born of Gladys Wallace Grovenstein and Warren D. Grovenstein. Gladys and Warren were born in Guyton, Georgia, where their ancestors settled before the Revolutionary War. Shortly after their marriage in 1922 they came to Florida. Gladys and Warren had three more children, Gloria, Warren, Jr., and Priscilla. Miriam was salutatorian for her graduating class from Palm Beach High School in 1942. In 1946 she graduated magna cum laude from Shorter College in Rome, Ga. where she majored in Spanish. Through the years, Miriam and her college room-mates remained close friends.
Miriam married Edward Thiems on February 2, 1948, after Edward served in the Army Air Force during World War II, and after Edward graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Edward had accepted a position with General Electric in Syracuse, N.Y, and after a honey-moon trip up the East Coast, they arrived in Syracuse. Miriam and Ed lived in Syracuse for 15 years where their three daughters Suzanne, Cindy and Sherry were born. When GE opened the Apollo Support facility in Daytona Beach in 1962, Ed accepted a transfer. The family moved to Ormond Beach in 1963.
Their daughters, Suzi, Cindy and Sherry, grew up in Ormond Beach, and after they married, remained in Florida. “Dr. Suzi,” is a pediatric dentist in Gainesville, FL, married Phil Heflin; Cindy, an art major, lives in Hawthorne, married Randy Pardue. Sherry, also an art major, is a watercolorist and lives in Sanford with husband Warren. Miriam was also very proud of her 3 grandsons, Josh and Jesse Hirt, and Chris Lee. Her daughters and their families were the “light of Miriam’s life,” so surrounded by a family who loved her, Miriam felt especially blessed!
In 1965, Miriam was asked to substitute teach Spanish classes at Mainland Senior High School in Daytona for a “couple weeks”. She stayed 32 years. She loved the students, and it was reciprocal. Miriam retired in 1997.
The Thiems family enjoyed traveling, and through the years traveled extensively. Edward died in 2006 at age 88, but Miriam continued her travels with family and friends. Some very memorable times were spent with her wonderful sisters and their families; Gloria Hunt & husband Don and their sons, Coye and Carey from Lake Wales, Fl.; and Priscilla Hardekopf, husband Bob and their children, Catherine, David and Kenneth of Los Alamos, NM.
Miriam’s church was a very important part of her life, providing a church home and spiritual guidance. The Thiems family became members of Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church in 1963, and have remained in that congregation through the years. Miriam was an ordained Presbyterian Elder. She was also an active member of the General Electric Wives Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and The American Association of University Women. She was an avid reader, and participated in several book discussion groups. However, Miriam was, first of all, a loving wife and mother.
There will be no memorial service for Miriam, but she was truly loved and will be greatly missed by family and friends.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Miriam G Thiems, please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
