Nona (Westfall) Mir |
| Posted 2009-02-22 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Friday, February 13, 2009 Nona Westfall Mir, age 91, died peacefully on Dec. 21, 2008, after a two-year struggle with the effects of a stroke. Nona is survived by her three sons, Owen Mir of Spokane, Wash.; Vernon Mir of Lutherville, Md.; and Mark Mir of Chandler, Ariz; four grandchildren, Ellen, Robert, Dillon, and Daniel; and two great-grandchildren, Stella and Lucy. Also surviving is her brother Oliver Westfall of Apache Junction, Ariz. There will be a memorial service for her in Prescott on Feb. 14, 2009, 1:30 p.m. at the Margaret T. Morris Center. Nona's friend and pastor, Lee Griffith, will officiate. Nona was born in Denver, Colo., on March 24, 1917, but spent her childhood living with her family in Elko, Nev. In the mid-1930s, while studying nursing at Utah State in Logan, she met her future husband, Joseph Mir, of Durango, Colo. Joe started working for the federal government in Idaho and was transferred to Washington D.C. in order to work for the 1940 Census. A whirlwind telegraphic courtship followed and, on his way east, Joe and Nona were married in Elko, Nev., on Aug. 13, 1940. They lived in Washington D.C. for most of the wartime but spent a brief period in Huntington, W.Va., before ending up in Bismarck, N.D., at the end of 1944. There Joe worked for the Bureau of Reclamation as a soils scientist while Nona was a homemaker and raised their two sons, Owen and Vernon. In 1955 they moved to Spokane, Wash., where the third son, Mark, was born. Wanderlust struck and Joe took an overseas posting with the United States Agency for International Development in southern Afghanistan where he helped to improve the agriculture around the Helmand River region. From 1961 to 1963 the family explored Afghanistan, Kashmir, and India, and other places on the way to and from the states. A respite in Spokane was followed by another two-year overseas tour for Nona, Joe and Mark in Kano, Nigeria. Owen and Vernon stayed behind for work and college. The family's adventure was cut short by the dangers of the Biafran revolution in Nigeria. The family lived in Spokane again until retirement led Joe, Nona and Mark to a last relocation in Prescott, Ariz., in 1972. Finally setting roots, Prescott was home until the end. The abundant natural and recreational features kept them busy with lots of outdoor adventures. Nona and Joe were active in the Prescott Outings Club, where Nona led more than 1,000 miles of hikes. Nona was active in the Prescott Garden Club, serving several years as president. Nona and Joe were devout students in the Finished Work Fellowship Bible study group. They were active supporters of Friends of the Library. After 56 years together, Joe passed away in 1996. In the following years Nona kept busy with her friends, community involvement, and hobbies. Tragically debilitated by a stroke in December 2006, Nona lost her independence and was cared for by the wonderful people at the Margaret T. Morris Center in Prescott. Information provided by survivors. |
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