Miriam Louise Hinlicky

In loving memory of Miriam Louise (Stokes) Hinlicky who passed on to Glory June 3, 2026 to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: a day of celebration.

Miriam was born on November 11, 1925 to the late Olive Lenore (George) Stokes and Vide Warren Stokes in Wichita, Kansas. Although it was the Great Depression years, Miriam had a happy home and childhood. In those hard economic times, her mother, who earned the family living as a dressmaker, instilled in Miriam a spirit of perseverance, self-discipline and resilience that carried her throughout her life. She was the youngest of four children, including her two sisters and brother, now deceased, Wynemah M. (Stokes) Knight, Mildred G. (Stokes) Dobson and Dale George Stokes.

Miriam graduated from Wichita High School-North in 1943 during World War II. She worked 5 1/2 years for the US. Postal Service to earn money to pay for her university years at Wichita State and Purdue University. She graduated the 1st of August, 1950, and married her beloved husband, George Joseph Hinlicky on August 10th. They had fifty-seven years of blessed life together. George was the love of her life. She adored him. He was her best friend.

While attending Purdue together, George and Miriam became involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Through this fellowship they felt called to foreign missionary work. After attending St. Louis Concordia Lutheran Seminary and completing language studies, they were commissioned as lay missionaries to establish an educational system in the Central Highlands of Papua, New Guinea by the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Their first two children, Holly Anne and David George, were born in the states before the family moved overseas. Miriam and George served eleven years on the mission field. Their family grew with the birth of their daughters, Deborah Joy, Jane Louise and Wynemah Kay.

George and Miriam returned with family in 1964 to the United States. They settled in New Britain, Connecticut where they accepted a call to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Day School.  George served as Principal and 7th-8th grade teacher while Miriam taught Kindergarten and Music. Unable to make ends meet, Miriam and George both moved to public school teaching. Miriam completed her Master’s of Education and dedicated herself to teaching Kindergarten-3rd grade at Lincoln and Vance Schools in New Britain.

In 1987 George and Miriam retired and moved to Vero Beach, Florida. In early retirement they became VISTA Volunteers. Miriam was the coordinator in Adult Literacy, recruiting space, tutors, and adult students who could not read to establish the program. Her other volunteering included teaching Vacation Bible School with George among the Athabascan Indians in Alaska, singing in Notables and church choirs, teaching Bible studies and actively participating in the church life of Living Lord Lutheran Church in Vero Beach.

Miriam had a wonderful life and when the Lord asks her “where are your fruits?” She would proudly answer, “my children.” She saw them as living “Epistles of God’s Love,” who also dedicated their lives to service, Holly St.John, a Neonatal ICU nurse; David Hinlicky, a principal and teacher married to Kathy; Deborah Bruns Kury, a holistic counselor married to Hannes; Jane Lauritsen, a vocal performer and music teacher married to Dennis; and Wynemah Hinlicky, a Lutheran pastor married to William Wiecher.

Blessed with 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, Miriam fostered a strong sense of love for family by gifting them with multiple reunions over decades. Gregarious by nature, she also loved people and maintained a broad range of relationships, including close highschool friends, which gave her great satisfaction and joy.

Life was rich for Miriam. She had an immense curiosity reflected by her knowledge of business, politics, science, history, music and literature. She was a conversationalist who could talk about anything and relished sharing her stories gleaned through the years of a centenarian. Her extensive travels took her around the world, over four continents, to places she’d hardly imagined as a Midwestern girl. Miriam was passionate about living the abundant life. Seeing herself as richly blessed she often said, “I’ve smelled all the roses.”

As we commemorate her life and love for the Lord, we join her in the words of her epitaph, “She was a steadfast steward and faithful witness of Jesus Christ.”

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026; at Our Living Lord Lutheran Church beginning promptly at 11:00 AM with internment into the church’s columbarium to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Living Lord Lutheran Church.

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.