Muriel Branham Oehme

MURIEL BRANHAM OEHME, age 87, was the daughter of the late George H. and Edna (Matney) Branham. She was born in Buchanan County, Virginia, and graduated from Grundy High School in 1948. She attended Little French Beauty Academy in Bluefield, West Virginia. Muriel owned or managed beauty salons in Virginia and West Virginia prior to relocating to the Washington, DC area in 1968, where she managed a salon for Glemby Company of New York. She was awarded outstanding manager in the United States in 1970. Muriel held Master Beautician’s licenses in four states. Muriel's greatest joy was in the creative process of helping individuals, especially women, feel and look more beautiful. She took great pride in her work. Muriel was a successful businessperson, homemaker, and loved her favorite pastime, genealogy. She trained as and became a volunteer genealogist at the Headquarters of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She spent many happy years working as a volunteer genealogist and researching her own families in the library at the Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters. Because of Muriel’s interest in her own family history, she became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), The National Huguenot Society, The Society of the War of 1812, and Daughters of the Confederacy. This effort led to finding many previously unknown relatives with whom she worked on numerous books, application papers, and just plain getting to know kinfolk. Many friendships developed with cousins from across the country. As a volunteer genealogist for eight years, Muriel was responsible for the legal approval of over three hundred DAR application papers, as well as proving her own blood lines back to the seventeenth century and beyond, including 21 legally proven ancestors with Revolutionary War service. Muriel’s fondness for homemaking and gourmet cooking was a joy to her friends and family alike. She also enjoyed reading, decorating and gardening, and she especially loved her home-grown tomatoes. Muriel was active in the Officers’ Wives Club at Andrews Air Force Base, the Chapel, and various military activities. She also belonged to the S. Maryland Antique Arts Assoc. Most of all, she enjoyed her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Muriel is the widow of the late Vance Oehme (USAF Ret.). Survivors include her two daughters from her first marriage to Bill Tolbert, Alicia (Oliver) Upchurch of Grundy, Virginia, and Rebecca (Mark) O’Neal of Phoenix, Arizona. Brothers are Robert (Joann), Carroll (Sue) and Kyle (Dinah) Branham of Grundy, Virginia, and Randall (Julie) of Long Grove, Illinois, and sister, Elizabeth (Glenn) Harrison of Richlands, Virginia. Grandsons are Lee (Karrah) Upchurch and great-granddaughter Claire of Pikeville, Kentucky, and William J. (Erin) Upchurch and great-grandsons Liam and Owen, and great-granddaughter Iris of Bristow, Virginia. She is also survived by stepdaughter Janice (Rick) Wilkins of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and stepson Johan Oehme of Garberville, California, two step-grandchildren Stefan Oehme (Michelle) of Copenhagen, Denmark and Allison (Craig) Hodina of Fairfield, California and great-grandchildren Lily, Elle, Toby and Callie. A Visitation will be held Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 12-2PM, with a Memorial Service following at 2PM at Lee Funeral Home, 6633 Old Alexandria Ferry Road, Clinton, Maryland, 20735. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Muriel Branham Oehme please visit our Sympathy Store.