Obituary of Mariam Nielsen

Mariam Anne Nielsen, known to friends and family as Anne, was born in a small farming town, Reubens, on the Camas Prairie of northern Idaho, the youngest child of Valentine Henry Ruckman and Helen Curless Ruckman. Her older sisters were Virginia and Katharyn. Anne graduated from Moscow High School in 1944. She went on to the University of Idaho where she was an active member of the Tri Delta sorority and an ace student, a fact not lost on her handsome classmate, Merrill Nielsen. He discovered that Anne took excellent notes and was a very capable lab partner. Anne and Merrill were married in 1947 and continued their schooling till they graduated in 1949, Merrill with a Masters Degree in Geology and Anne with a Bachelors Degree in Biology. They started their family shortly after graduating, with Katharyn (Katie), Max, RuthAnne and Paul following through the years. Anne's life as the wife of a geologist took her to several states including Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. She developed a career as an educator and taught secondary school science for many years. She earned a Masters Degree in Biological Sciences and a second Masters degree in Gifted and Talented education, running the gifted education program in a Colorado high school. In 1981, Anne and Merrill returned to Idaho where Anne taught in the gifted and talented program of Nampa schools until her retirement in 1991. An avid gardener her whole life, Anne was famous for her fruits and vegetables, and for her sumptuous flower beds. She was always ready with a gift of produce, flowers or homemade preserves, always eager to share the bounty of her gardens with family and friends. At her heart, Anne was a teacher. She strove to instill in her family, students and friends her love of learning and curiosity about the natural world, historical and political events. Wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, mentor, provider, friend and maker of an awesome huckleberry pie, Anne will be sorely missed. She is survived by her 4 children, Katie of Phoenix, AZ, Max of Seattle, WA, RuthAnne of Kuna, ID and Paul of Los Angeles, CA, as well as 18 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren