Anahid Helen Birdwell

Anahid Helen (Muradian) Birdwell, 84, was born September 25, 1937 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to Arshag and Meta (Rockwell) Muradian. She passed away peacefully from complications due to Alzheimer’s, Sunday, November 21 at Accura HealthCare in Newton, IA.

Anahid is survived by her son, Allen (Libby) Birdwell; grandchildren, Isaiah Birdwell, Chloe Birdwell, and Lydia Leach.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, David Russell Birdwell; daughter, Mariam Muradian; son-in-law, Tom Leach; and grandson, Joshua Birdwell.

Although she was born in Oshkosh, WI, Anahid was raised in Nashville, TN. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree, with an emphasis in piano performance, from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a part of Vanderbilt University) in 1959 and began a career in teaching. Her first teaching assignments took her to Michigan, and eventually to St. Louis, MO, where she lived most of her adult life. It was in St. Louis that her children were born, and with the onset of poor health, she left the teaching profession to focus on raising her children.

After her children were raised, she went back to school and earned an additional Associates Degree in Applied Science in the field of Chemical Technology in 1990. Upon attaining this new degree, she worked in a retrovirus lab at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, conducting AIDS research. She worked there until her retirement in 2004. In 2001, she was awarded the St. Louis Chemical Technician of the Year Award by the St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society, and in 2003, she was nominated for the National Chemical Technician Award.

She spent her retirement years living with her son, Allen, and his family in Des Moines, IA, where she enjoyed being able to focus on her grandchildren, Lydia, Isaiah, and Chloe. When she wasn’t giving her full, unbroken attention to her grandchildren, she loved to read medical journals, books on chemistry, and study maps and places around the world. With the advent of smart phones, she never believed in “asking Siri”, and whenever a family member had a question on a particular topic, or was planning a trip to any destination, she would rush to grab her Encyclopedia Britannica or one of her Atlases to research the answer or map out the best route.

Of all her accomplishments in life, Anahid would say the most important event in her life was not any accomplishment of her own, but on December 5, 1976, she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior and became a born-again Christian. After 44 years of walking with the Lord, she now sees her Savior face-to-face, and we know that one day we will be reunited with her in glory.

Per Anahid’s request, cremation has occurred, and a memorial service will be held December 17 @ 11:00 a.m. at Walnut Creek Church (Windsor Heights location), Des Moines, IA.

Online condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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