HIGLEY, Miriam E.

Miriam Higley Baker City, 1919-2014 Miriam E. Higley, 94, of Baker City, died Feb. 1, 2014, at St. Alphonsus Care Center in Baker City. A celebration of her life will be scheduled later. Miriam was born on Friday the 13th of December 1919 at Leavittsburg, Ohio, to Ray Phillips and Zoe Diffendarfer Phillips. Her younger brother, Keith, died of spinal meningitis at the age of 15. In high school, Miriam was a gymnast and a track star. During her senior year, she was homecoming queen and her escort was Amer Newton Higley, whom she later married on Sept. 13, 1940. During World War II, Amer served in the Pacific on the USS Lamprey submarine. Amer was enchanted with the Pacific Northwest and told Miriam that he would move out West after the war. In 1955, Miriam and Amer moved to Salem. They built their first Oregon home in South Salem with their two children, Gwen and Keith. Miriam and Amer were charter members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church where they were youth group leaders and Miriam also served as a deacon and elder. In 1960, they built their second home in the Spring Valley area of West Salem. Miriam took great pride in homemaking, gardening, fishing, camping, traveling and hosting parties for their many friends and family. In 1975 Miriam and Amer moved to Baker City and built a home on Ben Dier Road. They co-owned a log cabin at Bourne and spent many happy times with family and friends there. During the 1980s Miriam served as administrator at the Elkhorn Village. In 1987, the love of her life, Amer, passed away. Miriam continued to be involved with the First Presbyterian Church in Baker and served as a deacon and elder. She also was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and a volunteer for the Sumpter Valley Railroad and the Interpretive Center. From 2002 to 2008, she lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Keith and Karen Higley of Baker City. In 2008 she moved to Meadowbrook Place where many of her friends lived and she enjoyed the social life of endless card games. In November, 2011 she suffered a broken hip, which made it necessary for her to move to St. Alphonsus Care Center where she resided under their excellent care until her death. Survivors include her children, Gwen Villwock and son-in-law, Steve, and Keith Higley and daughter-in-law, Karen; her grandchildren, Kevin Higley, Lisa Overstreet, Kelley Hatch, Michael Villwork, Andrew Villwork and Scott Ungerecht; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her younger brother, Keith Phillips; her parents, Ray and Zoe Phillips; and her husband Amer Newton Higley. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Alphonsus Care Center Activities through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave, Baker City, OR 97814.