Miriam Davis

Miriam Louise Evans Davis, 95, died peacefully Wednesday morning, October 8th, 2014 in her sleep while residing at the Franke at Seaside Care Center. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Miriam was a daughter to Charles Glenn Evans and Grace Hillock Evans. Her beloved husband of almost 50 years, Johnie Edward Davis, preceded her in death in 1996. She attended Hiram College in Ohio and graduated in 1942 from Berea College in Kentucky where she earned degrees in Fine Arts and Biology. Miriam Davis was a devoted wife, sister, mother, and science educator to countless children. She had a passionate love of nature and art and often raised orphaned wildlife and used her artistic talents to promote environmental awareness and conservation. Her entire career was dedicated to nature based museum work. As a pioneer in the field of teaching natural history to children in the late 1940s, she was hired by the William T. Hornaday Foundation for the development of children’s nature museums in the South. She served as a consultant to the Jacksonville Children’s Museum and then as the first Director of the Children’s Museum in Durham, N.C. where she met and married husband Johnie, a forester and her outdoor companion. Before retiring, she served for 10 years as Curator of Natural History at the Columbia Science Museum where she was a weekly guest on the “Mr. Knozit” television show and was affectionately known as the “Science Lady”. Here she shared her museum animals and natural history items with masterful knowledge with both children and TV audience alike. Miriam was an ardent supporter of the SC ETV television program NatureScene having worked with its host Rudy Mancke during her Science Museum years. Miriam was also a committed volunteer to community service. She served as a Girl Scout leader in whatever community she lived, and would often open her home to hosting and teaching English to international students. For years, she and her husband participated in Community Soup Kitchens and Meals-on-Wheels and often would be seen serving as a docent at the S.C. State Museum in Columbia. Before moving to Mt. Pleasant, she was a long time member of First Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School and active in the women’s auxiliary groups. Survivors include daughters, Anita Bridges (Tom) of Rome, Georgia, Phyllis Yoakum (Matthew) of Beaufort, S.C., Martha Davis of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., son Charles Davis of Aiken, S.C., six grandchildren, Elizabeth Bridges, Jonathan Bridges, Lauren Todd (Michael), Davis Yoakum (Ashley), Chris MacEachern (Reid), Katie MacEachern, Sheldon Davis, and five great grandchildren. Sisters Elaine Dee of Truro, Massachusetts and Ernestine King of Topsham, Maine also survive. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, October 11th at the Franke at Seaside Rodenberg Chapel 1885 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant. The family will have a private interment service at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia. In lieu of flowers, memorials donations may be made to the SC ETV television and radio programs of the ETV Endowment of SC 401 E. Kennedy St, Suite B-1 Spartanburg, SC 29302. Please visit the online guestbook at: www.palmettocremationsociety.com Arrangements by PALMETTO CREMATION SOCIETY, 11 Cunnington Ave., Charleston, SC 29405, (843) 722-2555.