Obituary of Miriam Counts

CAYCE-On December 21, 2010, Miriam Elizabeth Counts, age 84, passed away after a long illness. A long time Cayce resident, she was a descendant of Johanas Kountz who with his family settled on a 350 acre land grant from British King James II in South Carolina's Dutch Fork. The daughter of Lutheran Missionaries, Miriam was born in Monrovia, Liberia, Africa on May 10, 1925 where her parents were serving at the time. She was educated in South Carolina schools, at Marion College, and at the Philadelphia, PA Lankenau School of Nursing. A lifelong Registered Pediatric Nurse, she was employed at Columbia's Richland Memorial Hospital from which she retired as Head Nurse in the early 1980's with over 30 years of service. She was a member of West Columbia's Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church Women, and held a lifetime membership in the Women's Missionary Society. She is preceded in death by her parents Rev. Paul M. and Bertha E. Counts beside whom she is being laid to rest, a brother Paul M. Counts, and nephew and niece George Paul and Donna Lynn Kasparek. She is survived by her sister Esther C, (Frank) Kasparek, Sturtevant, WI; sister-in-law Hazel Counts, Newport News, VA; nieces Dr. Sue K. Goetz, Bristol, WI; Elizabeth Ann (Mike) Phillips, Arpin, WI; Virginia Ruth (Mike) Kelley, Woodinville, WA; Linda Counts, Hampton, VA; Jim (Michelle) Gardiner, Hayes VA; and eight grand nieces and nephews.Visitation will be held at Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia, 200 State Street at 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 29, 2010, prior to the service at the church. Funeral services will be held at West Columbia?s Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, 1000 B. Ave, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 29th, with internment to follow at Southland Memorial Gardens, 700 W. Dunbar Rd., West Columbia, SC. It was one of Miriam's wishes that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, West Columbia, SC, 29169.Family and friends may sign online guest book at www.thompsonsfuneral.com