BOICE, Miriam

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, Arizona, Tuesday, April 01, 2014 Miriam Hamilton Boice, 85 Miriam Hamilton Boice died peacefully on March 27, 2014 in Tucson, Ariz. Miriam was born in Tucson on Aug. 27, 1928. She was the youngest of three children of Miriam and Oliver Hamilton. Miriam, known to her close school friends as “Chummy,” was raised in Tucson, graduated from Tucson High School and went on to earn her Business Administration degree at the University of Arizona. She married her high school sweetheart and lifetime partner, Bob Boice of Tucson, shortly after they both graduated from the University of Arizona in 1950. They made their first home at the Boice Family’s Empire Ranch south of Tucson. Six years and two and a half kids later, they moved to the Slash S Ranch, south of Globe, Ariz. Miriam loved her life as a rancher’s wife, telling many stories of cooking for the crew. In 1958 they made their home in Globe, raising their family and becoming very active members of the community. In addition to her family, Miriam loved sewing, collecting dolls, Hummels, fun family Easter egg hunts, genealogy and her daily crossword puzzles. For more than 20 years she served as the Treasurer to the Gila County Cattle Growers, eventually compiling the organization’s history and proclaiming herself as the “unofficial and self-appointed historian.” Miriam volunteered as the clerk and organizer of the Gila County Fair Junior Livestock Auction and also found time to volunteer for the American Field Service, and at one time serving as president. Miriam was extremely proud of her children and felt they were the most important accomplishment of her life. All four graduated from college and have successful lives. Miriam was preceded in death by Bob, her husband of 62 years, and is survived by her children, Mary Moreton (Bruce) of Oro Valley, Ariz.; Grant Boice (Kristi) of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Martha Madani of Oro Valley, Ariz. and Peggy Sands (Charles) of Lexington, Mo., her eight grandchildren and two great-grandsons. Services for Miriam will be held once her grandchildren can join. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Arizona National Livestock Show Scholarship Fund, 1826 W McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85007 or Gila County 4-H Livestock, PO Box 1337, Globe, AZ 85502.