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MURIEL L., Ph.D Age 88, longtime resident of Albuquerque, lately of Tucson, AZ. Passed away Sunday, July 3, 2011, in Tucson. She was born in St. Paul Minnesota Jan 15, 1923 and was the daughter of the late Jacob E. and Daisy V. Janzen of Moorhead, MN. She was the wife of the late Lt. Col. Lonnie F. Stephenson, Jr. (United States Army), and the sister of the late Robert B. Janzen, Ft. Worth, Tx. She leaves as survivors her sister, Dorothy Janzen of Phoenix. Her son, Lonnie F. Stephenson III of Tucson; daughter, Melissa Stephenson, Queens, NY; two grandchildren, Jacob P. Stephenson, U.S. Army Fort Benning, Georgia and Haley R. Stephenson, Tucson. After completing a B.A. Degree from Concordia College in Moorhead MN, Muriel briefly taught in Montana. She then joined the U.S. Foreign Service to work in post-war Germany in Nuremburg and Frankfurt where she facilitated transfer of displaced persons. It was there she met her future husband, "Steve" who was stationed there in the service. Subsequently upon his transfer, they married in Oakland, CA. As a service wife she moved many times, including a tour in Taiwan. In Grand Forks North Dakota, Muriel completed her education at the University of North Dakota earning an M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature. They moved to Albuquerque in 1969 where she taught in the English Dept. at the University of Albuquerque for a number of years. In 1980 she went to MN to be near her parents as her father was seriously ill. At that time she accepted the position of Academic Dean at St. Thomas University. Upon her father's death, the family returned to Albuquerque where she returned to teaching at the University of Albuquerque. After retirement, Muriel continued her special interest in the fine arts, music and theatre. She traveled widely and attended events in New York and elsewhere always supporting the arts in Albuquerque. She served on the Board of the Arts Commission and on the Board of the Library in Albuquerque. Because of failing health, Muriel in 2008 moved to Tucson to be near her son, Lonnie. It was in Tucson that she passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, July 3, 2011. Muriel was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, teacher and a staunch friend. She assumed all these roles with dedication, feeling and dignity always striving to do her best despite encountering many obstacles on the way. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A Service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1500 E. Chelwood Blvd, NE, Alb. NM, on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 10:00 am.
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