Miriam Smith Whisnant

Miriam Smith Whisnant, of Cornelius, North Carolina passed away Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at Novant Health Medical Center in Huntersville, North Carolina. She was born in Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 11, 1923 to Mary Reid Smith and Clifton Eugene Smith. Miriam celebrated with great excitement her one hundredth third birthday on July 11, 2026.

Miriam graduated from Cornelius High School and entered Queens University in the fall of 1940 where she was a member of the Alpha Gamma Sorority and graduated in the Class of 1944 with a degree in Business Administration. She began her career with the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Clerk of Court Office. Miriam remained a steadfast donor of Queens for many decades as a Royal Society member and also served as Alumni Class President. While a Queens student Miriam met her college sweetheart, Louis Rodney Whisnant, who attended Davidson College. The two were married June 24, 1945 following his completion of Officer’s Candidate School and his commission in the United States Marine Corps.

With the exception of a few years while stationed with her husband at Quantico, Virginia, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Lawton, Oklahoma, Miriam resided on her ancestral historic Potts property as a seventh generation descendant - the Potts property having been purchased in 1753 by John Potts for forty pounds Sterling from John Brevard, the tract having been granted to John Brevard by George II.

Miriam was fiercely proud of her Scots Irish heritage and her love and passion for history fulfilled much of her life. One of her many accomplishments of which she was most proud was the successful work to place the Potts property, in its entirety, on the National Register of Historic Places. She was a founding member of the Catawba Valley Scottish Society (CVSS) and one of ten founding members of the Loch Norman Highland Games. She was recently remembered as “standing tall” at the first Games held in McAuley Meadows. Through the years she was a Life Patron of the Games and sponsored many of its events and needs. Miriam was also known to dance and sing along with Clan An Drumma and she never failed to bring along her famous brownies for the enjoyment of friends and family. She was a member of the CVSS Tontine, the Mecklenburg Historic Association and served on the original Board of Directors as Assistant Chairperson of the Hugh Torance House & Store working to preserve the site. Never satisfied, Miriam and the Hopewell Presbyterian Church minister, pushed to start a genealogy group in North Mecklenburg and thus began the Olde Mecklenburg Genealogy Society, Hopewell Branch.

She also enjoyed public service as a member of the Town of Cornelius Beautification Committee and was appointed to the Town’s first Historic Preservation Committee. She participated in the Cornelius Garden Club winning many blue ribbons, was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 86 and the Daughters of the American Revolution - Alexandriana Chapter serving as Recording Secretary, Registrar, Historian, Regent and District Officer.

Miriam was a lifelong member of Mount Zion United Methodist Church of Cornelius where she volunteered as Vacation Bible School teacher, Day Camp leader and Girl Scout leader. She also wrote the History of Mount Zion United Methodist Church and, in conjunction with the Town of Cornelius Centennial and the church’s one hundredth seventy eighth anniversary, presented along with her sister, Lilyan, the Smith History Museum to the Church. In May, 2015, she and her husband, Rodney were honored by Mount Zion Church for their faithful and loyal service.

Throughout her years, Miriam was a valued mentor, not only to family, but to all those she cherished around her. She was blessed with humor and wit and enjoyed her athletic teams challenging everyone in her midst to keep abreast of her favorite baseball, basketball, football and race teams. Her many pleasures included collecting antiques, genealogy, spending time at her North Carolina beach home collecting shells and a very special group of friends who enjoyed travel and the arts, who organized their own curriculum and recruited a college professor for their studies.

Miriam is survived by her daughter, Miriam Jane Whisnant Workman (Richard Norris), nephew, Charles Eugene Hunter, great nephew, Charles Wesley Hunter (Dawn) and their children Sidney, Lily and Sophia. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 74 years, Louis Rodney Whisnant, and sister, Lilyan Reid Smith Hunter.

The family extends their heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Denzil Harris and her wonderful team of caregivers.

The funeral service was held at Mount Zion United Methodist Church, 10600 Zion Street in Cornelius, North Carolina on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 11:00AM. Interment followed the service in the family cemetery. The cortège was led by the Loch Norman Pipe Band. The family received friends at a reception in the church Family Life Center following the committal.

Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family. Memorials may be made to the Smith History Museum, Mount Zion United Methodist Church.