William Howard Muir (1928 - 1985)

Born 26 May 1928 in Pennsylvania, United States

Died 26 Jul 1985 at age 57 in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States

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Biography

William Howard "Bill" Muir was born in Pennsylvania on 26 May 1928.^[1][2] The 1930 U.S. Census recorded him in his parents' household in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Household members were George Muir, 49, a native of Pennsylvania whose parents were born in Scotland; his wife Bessie Muir, 41, a native of Pennsylvania whose father was born in England and mother was born in Pennsylvania; and their Pennsylvania-born sons Robert, 15; James, 8; and William, 1 year and 11 months old. George Muir, William's father, was a superintendent in an iron works.^[3]

He grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and attended Allegheny College in Meadville, where he graduated in 1949 with a B.S. degree in biology.^[2]

In 1952 he married Elizabeth Ann "Libby" Townsend, whom he had met at Allegheny College.^[4]

He died on 26 July 1985 in Itasca County, Minnesota, where he was vacationing at his family's wilderness cabin.^[2][5]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JB1J-3MK : 19 May 2014), William Muir, Jul 1985; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Hill, John H., and James L. Van Etten. William H. Muir, 1928-1985. Phytopathology (American Phytopathological Society), Vol. 77, No. 1. January 1987. Page 52.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RZC-ZGX?cc=1810731&wc=QZF7-BLJ%3A649490601%2C649433701%2C649394501%2C1589282350 : 8 December 2015), Pennsylvania > Crawford > Meadville > ED 23 > image 34 of 39; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
4. ↑ Elizabeth 'Libby' Muir (obituary), NorthfieldNews.com, 7 December 2017.
5. ↑ "Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4WJ-BP8 : 4 December 2014), William Howard Muir, 26 Jul 1985; from "Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Itasca, Minnesota, record 2187522, certificate number 021223, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis.

• American Association of Blind Teachers, Bill Muir. Accessed at blindteachers.net on 17 October 2019.
• Kellett, Susie. For Botanist Bill Muir, the Wilderness Is Truly 'Out of Sight' but He Can Hear and Touch It, People Magazine, 26 March 1979. Accessed on People.com on 17 October 2019.
• Nelson, Jon. Bill Muir: Boundary Waters Botanist. Accessed at jon-nelson.com on 17 October 2019.