Miriam Butterfield

On Saturday, November 4, the Lord called Miriam Margaret Zimpfer Butterfield, age 96, home.

Miriam was born on August 8, 1927 to Gertrude and Edward Zimpfer in Independence, Iowa. Growing up on the family farm, Miriam loved to drive her team of horses and help out her father. At the age of 16, she graduated from Rowley High School and moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she worked in the gift department at Smulekoffs. One day after her shift, Miriam was walking to the bus stop when a car pulled up beside her. Behind the wheel was Donald Butterfield, her high school sweetheart, who happened to be in the right place at the right time. This chance encounter led to the rekindling of their romance, and on February 22, 1947, they were united in marriage at the Rowley Presbyterian Church. Three children—Toni, Jill, and Wally—blessed their lives. Rowley remained their home from 1947-1956 until a job transfer relocated them to Osceola, Iowa. Miriam was a stay-at-home mother until the children were older and the pair opened up their own insurance and travel agency along with a bail bonding business. As a travel agent, Miriam traversed the United States and far-flung cities around the globe; London was her favorite.

Wherever Miriam went, abroad, as well as at home in Osceola, she genuinely enjoyed meeting people and making friends. Everyone appreciated her kindness, wit, and occasional orneriness. Miriam was an avid bridge player, loved car rides in the countryside to see the scenery, and enjoyed visiting with friends over coffee. She was a woman-about-town in every sense of the word.

The home Miriam and Don built together in Osceola was a very special place. She cherished their beautiful backyard where her passion for flowers and birds was evident. It was even featured in an issue of “Birds & Blooms” magazine. Miriam loved the holidays, and she filled her home with gorgeous decorations and hosted cozy Christmas Eve gatherings. Family and faith were above all else in her life. She adored and took pride in her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and was fascinated with figuring out which relatives looked most similar to one another. She regularly attended the LifePoint Assembly of God Church in Osceola, until she moved in with her daughter Jill, in Shellman Bluff, Georgia. She spent her final years at a nursing home in Jesup, Georgia. She is dearly missed and forever in our hearts.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Annette, brother Bernard, her husband Don (2009), and son Wally (2019). Miriam leaves behind a loving legacy; daughter Toni Woods of Midway, Georgia, daughter Jill and husband, Ernie Backerman of Shellman Bluff, Georgia, daughter-in-law Sandy Butterfield of Atlanta, Georgia, grandson, Jason Woods and wife Mindy of Hopkins, Minnesota, grandson Andrew Butterfield of Decatur, Georgia, granddaughter, Ashley Butterfield and husband, Jack Marchetti, Decatur, Georgia, and great-granddaughters Catherine, Anna, and Lily Woods of Hopkins, Minnesota.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at LifePoint Assembly of God Church in Osceola, IA on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. Reception with coffee and refreshments to follow.