Helen Muir-Funk, the youngest daughter of John Muir, known for her adventurous spirit and contributions to preserving her family's legacy.
JOMU
John Muir's Daughter
Helen Muir-Funk. The youngest of John Muir's two daughters. Her sister was Wanda Muir Hanna (1881 - 1942). She was born January 23, 1886 in Martinez, California. Helen married Buel Alvin Funk in October 1909. Together they had four sons:
Muir Haley Funk - b. February 2, 1911. d. Dec. 28, 1978 Stanley Muir (born Stanley M. Funk) - b. July 17, 1912. d. August 17 1962 John Muir (born Buel Funk) - b. June 28, 1914. d. April 23, 1973 Walter Muir (born Walter Muir Funk) - b. May 27, 1916, d. December 9, 2004
Although several illnesses throughout her life kept her mostly at home, in her heart she had an adventurous spirit. She enjoyed hiking, climbing, riding her horse, reading about football, playing her guitar, and observing plants and animals. Most of all she enjoyed watching the trains come through the Muir property. She bought numerous train magazines and hoped to one day become a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately, her poor health made attending school difficult. She spent the majority of her time at home, often helping her father by typing his manuscripts. She also enjoyed writing her own stories and her father hoped that she might follow in his footsteps. After bouts of pneumonia and tuberculosis, Helen moved south to Daggett, CA. Her doctor insisted that a drier climate was the only cure. There she met her husband, Buell Funk, and together they had four children. They bought and sold real estate in addition to running an alfalfa ranch. A friend said that Helen had a convertible that she drove “quite fast” along the dry washes in the desert. After her husband’s death, she moved to Spokane, WA. When the National Park Service began restoring the Muir-Strentzel House, she was very helpful in sharing memories of what the house looked like in the early 1900s.
After Funk died in a tragic automobile accident at the age of 47, (1934) Helen and three of her sons changed their name from Funk to Muir - in 1940. The oldest son, Muir Funk, did not because his first name was Muir. Another son, Walter, who died in 2004, told an interviewer that he had every book written by his famous grandfather and many written about him by other authors. He told the interviewer, "The more I study him and the things he did, the more amazed I am. He had the most incredible way of describing things, in words I wouldn't even think of."
Helen died in Spokane, Washington, on June 17, 1964. She is buried next to her husband, Buel Alvin Funk in the Bellevue Memorial Cemetery in Ontario, California.
