# Muriel Beveridge Hill (1883–1948) ## Early Life and Family Background Muriel Beveridge Hill was born on 8 January 1883 in Georgetown, Clear Creek County, Colorado, the daughter of David B Hill and Agnes S Beveridge. She spent her childhood in Colorado during the state’s late-nineteenth-century mining era, appearing in the household of her parents in Clear Creek County by 1885. Her early years were shaped by the small mountain communities of central Colorado, where education and civic life were closely intertwined. ## Education and Early Career Muriel pursued higher education at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, attending in 1901. Following her graduation, she entered the field of education at a time when professional opportunities for women were expanding but still limited. By the early 1900s, she had established herself as a capable and respected educator. After relocating to Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1907 from Idaho Springs, Colorado, she became deeply involved in the city’s school system, eventually serving as principal of a local high school. Her teaching career in Las Vegas spanned approximately twenty-five years. ## Marriage and Family Life On 10 August 1910, Muriel married Edward John McWenie in Clear Creek County, Colorado. The couple settled permanently in Las Vegas, San Miguel County, New Mexico, where they raised two children: Edward John McWenie Jr. and Margaret Beveridge McWenie. Census records from 1920 through 1940 consistently place Muriel in Las Vegas as wife and homemaker alongside her professional and civic pursuits. ## Professional and Civic Contributions In addition to her long service as a teacher, Muriel was active in the intellectual and social life of Las Vegas. She served for a time as society editor of the Las Vegas Daily Optic, reflecting her engagement with community affairs and local culture. Known as a prominent resident, she balanced her professional responsibilities with family life while maintaining a visible role in the city’s civic sphere. ## Death and Legacy Muriel Beveridge Hill McWenie died in November 1948 in Las Vegas, New Mexico, after suffering a fatal heart attack while voting in a local election—an event widely reported in the press and emblematic of her civic commitment. She was 65 years old and was buried in Las Vegas, San Miguel County. Remembered as an educator, editor, and engaged citizen, Muriel’s life reflects the experiences of educated women who helped shape public life in the American Southwest during the early twentieth century.