Miriam M (Smith) Rasmussen

On February 15, 2021, Miriam M. (Smith) Rasmussen died at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital. She was 89 years old. Miriam is preceded in death by her husband, Louis, her son, David and her sister Paula (Harold) Anthony of Fremont, Michigan. She is survived by her son, Eric (Kate) of Harbor Springs and daughter Kristin Rasmussen of Petoskey. Also surviving is her brother, Owen (Nancee) Smith of Lakeland, Florida.

Miriam was born on June 2, 1931 in Fremont, Michigan, to Wm. Earl and Marguerite (Froelich) Smith. She attended the rural Packard School for the first 7 grades, then attended the Fremont Public Schools, graduating in 1949 from Fremont High School. She attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids for a year. Then she graduated from Elkhart University in Indiana as a certified AMT. Miriam was recruited upon graduation by the head of the laboratory at Little Traverse Hospital (AKA Northern Michigan Hospital) in Petoskey in 1951. She worked in the laboratory there for 32 years, retiring as a specialty tech. in chemistry in 1933.

She was a member of the Petoskey United Methodist Church, Sheridan PTO, a Girl Scout co-leader, a member of the Emmet County Genealogy Society. The Petoskey Outboard Cruising Club and the Petoskey Whirl-a-ways Western Square Dancing Club.

Her interested included sewing, gardening, classical music, history, boating, animals (especially cats), traveling, and genealogy. Her interest in genealogy started when she was asked to write a history of her Froelich ancestors, by the town of Froelich, Iowa, which was named after a great grandfather J. Henry Froelich. J.H. Froelich’s son, John Froelich invented the first gasoline tractor, which later became the John Deere tractor of today. Miriam traced her Froelich ancestry back to 1637, in Germany. One of Miriam’s great grandmothers, Harriet Cowan, was born a few miles from Gettysburg, PA. 2 weeks before the famous Civil War battle of that name. Mother and baby had to be evacuated immediately after the birth because of the intense pre-battle fighting occurring in the area.

Miriam’s travels included Denmark, Germany, South Africa, and a European tour from London, England, Paris, France, Switzerland, and Pizza-Florence-Venice-Rome, Italy, also countless places within the United States, especially places of historical significance.

A graveside service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey on May 7, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. A gathering of friends and family will take place immediately following at the Petoskey United Methodist Church.

Donations may be directed to the Emmet County Friendship Center or the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society.

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