Miriam Shehane

Miriam Quenette Wilkinson Shehane 

January 25, 1933 - June 17, 2024

Miriam Shehane, age 91, a resident of Clio, Alabama, died Monday, June 17, 2024, at her home. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Clio Baptist Church.

Miriam is survived by her daughter: Sonya Shehane-Bradford (Jeff); daughter-in-law: Debby Shehane; grandchildren: Jordan Bradford (Tiffany), Kaelan Bradford (Mary Anna), Elizabeth Stewart (Michael), Joshua Shehane (Katy), David Shehane (Joy), Timothy Shehane and Gabriel Shehane; great grandchildren: AJ Bradford, William Stewart, John Stewart, Shauna Shehane, Eagan Shehane, Lucy Grace Shehane, Declan Shehane, Christian Shehane, Dillon Shehane, and Elinor Shehane; sibling: Joanna Wilkinson; sisters-in-law: Yvonne Price (Billy) and Fay Shehane as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

She was preceded in death by her husband: Edward Shehane; children: Jon Shehane and Quenette Shehane; parents: Cody and Alma Wilkinson; parents-in-law: Louie and Versie Shehane; siblings: Peggy Eiland and Carolyn Helms; brothers-in-law: Curtis Eiland, Travis Helms, Delane Wilkinson and Howard Shehane; niece: Deborah Long; and nephews: Stephen Shehane and Blaine Price.

Miriam was a dedicated and loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, and friend. Miriam grew up in Blue Springs, Alabama, where she married her high school sweetheart, Edward, on Thanksgiving Day in 1951. They spent nearly 65 years together in marriage before Edward's death in 2016. During her very early years of marriage, Miriam worked at a pajama factory and The Bank of Ozark in Ozark, Alabama. In 1966, after having three children, Miriam and Edward moved from Blue Springs to Clio, Alabama, where Miriam worked at The Peoples Bank. She worked there for many years eventually becoming one of its vice presidents. Following the death of her oldest daughter, Quenette, in 1976, Miriam began a crusade against the injustice she saw in the Alabama judicial system related to victims of crime, and eventually founded the organization known as VOCAL (Victims of Crime and Leniency). Miriam, often referred to as Alabama's Mother of Victims' Rights, spent over 40 years dedicated to VOCAL and to the service of victims of crime including areas such as law revision and creation, parole hearing and court case support, counseling, and compensation. Miriam was proud to be a member of the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Board where she served for 37 years. Miriam also served crime victims through the Alabama Attorney General's Office where she worked as a Victim Service Officer during Jimmy Evans' term of office. Though Miriam was passionate about her work with victims, above all else, she loved spending time with her family and friends. Her loved ones were always her priority. She was young at heart and always open for an adventure. Miriam had a heart of gold and will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Miriam's memory to VOCAL, Clio Baptist Church or the American Cancer Society.