Post Messenger Recorder -

Miriam "Mickey" Gale Eye Blum, age 86, passed away on Monday, January 16, 2017, following a 20-year struggle with Leukemia. She was born on May 26, 1930, in Miles City, MT, to Prof. Glen G. and Lucile Terry Eye.

Her family moved to Ogden, UT, in 1937, where her father took a position as principal. Miriam spent summers in Madison, WI, while her father worked on his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin.

In 1941, the family moved to Madison, WI, where Mickey attended Randall Grade School and graduated from Wisconsin High in 1948, where her father was principal. Mickey graduated in 1960 from UW in History, with honors.

On June 10, 1951, she was united in marriage to Fred G. Blum Jr. at Madison, WI. The couple celebrated 65 years of marriage together. They lived in several states while Fred finished his medical degrees. During that time Mickey worked for the U.S. Navy and Dupont Explosives Division.

In the spring of 1959, the growing Blum family moved back to Madison where Fred started private practice in Ophthalmology. In 1965, Mickey and Fred moved their family to the rural Monticello homestead that was settled by Fred's family in 1848. There, Mickey embraced the farm life by driving tractors, nursing calves, milking cows, handling bulls, rounding up cattle on horseback and jumping with her Morgan stallion.

Mickey's passion and greatest love was her family. She and Fred raised six children and they took many happy trips around the world.

Mickey owned the Hefty-Blum Homestead Farm Store in New Glarus from 1974-1978; she then started and operated Styleyes Optical until 1995 when she retired.

Miriam is survived by her husband, Dr. Fred G. Blum Jr .; and her six children, Silvan (Jane) Blum, Marion (Jan) Hobbs, Gale (Kent) Duval, Heidi (Bill) Sarbacker, Elsbeth "Baeti" (Albert) Ng, and Antonia (Robert) Seitz; beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is also survived by in-laws, Elliott and Marion Sweet; and many nieces and nephews, whom she loved.

Miriam was preceded in death by her parents, Prof. Glen G. and Lucille Terry Eye; and her sister, Kathryn (Clarence) Bading; and a child that she and Fred lost due to miscarriage.

Heaven has gained a beautiful soul!

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at the Zentner-Beal Funeral Home, 29 Sixth Avenue, New Glarus, WI, with Pastors Jeff Cole and Kent Duval officiating with burial in the Swiss Church Cemetery, New Glarus.

Relatives and friends called from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the Zentner-Beal Funeral Home in New Glarus.

A memorial fund has been established.

An online memorial with guestbook is available at http://www.bealfuneralhomes.com.