Miriam V. Pucel, 95, of Ely, Minnesota, peacefully passed away on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at Boundary Waters Care Center, Ely, Minnesota. Her last days were spent surrounded by her loving family. She was born on May 2, 1924, in Soudan, Minnesota, to Anna (Westerinen) and John Heikkinen.
Miriam attended schools in Soudan and Tower, Minnesota, graduating in 1942. During World War II, she left home to work at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. She married Joe M. Pucel on May 10, 1947, at her parents’ home in Soudan.
Miriam loved travel of all kinds and camped with family and friends across the United States. She went on her first canoe trip at age 67! She made some special trips to France, Germany, Hawaii, and even Disney World. In her later years, she walked marathons of miles on the Miners’ Lake Trail, many with the family’s lab dogs (Doodie was special).