The eighth and youngest child of Rose Ann (Westerman) and Leo Wegman was born March 15, 1931, in Jefferson City, Missouri. She was baptized on March 22 at Immaculate Conception in Jefferson City and named Rosemary Elizabeth.

Rosemary attended elementary and the first two years of secondary school at Immaculate Conception, staffed by the Incarnate Word sisters. For her junior year, she enrolled at St. Peter’s High School where she was taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND).

Following graduation, she entered the candidature at Sancta Maria in Ripa on Sept. 1, 1948. As a second-year candidate, she taught second grade at Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Louis. She was received into the novitiate on Aug. 1, 1950, and was given the name Rose Miriam. She pronounced first vows on Aug. 2, 1951, and final vows on Aug. 2, 1957.

Sister Rose Miriam earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the former Notre Dame College in St. Louis in 1955; a master’s degree in English from Xavier University in New Orleans in 1962; and a master’s degree in secondary education administration from Saint Louis University in 1969.

After profession, Sister Rose Miriam spent 10 years as a classroom teacher at Our Lady of Sorrows in St. Louis, Redemptorist High School in New Orleans and Duchesne High School in St. Charles. She then became principal at Duchesne High School for three years. In 1964, Sister Rose Miriam began her ministry as an associate superintendent in the St. Louis Archdiocesan School Office. In this position, she ministered as a consultant for secondary schools and for language arts in the elementary and secondary schools of the archdiocese.

In 1971, Sister Rose Miriam was elected to the former St. Louis Provincial Council. During her time as councilor, she was also the provincial treasurer. She was one of the founding members of the SSND Interprovincial Finance Committee and oversaw the entrance of the St. Louis SSND into the Social Security program.

After two terms as provincial councilor, she was invited to the Generalate in Rome to minister as the general treasurer for the international congregation. After taking courses in accounting, Italian and German, she left for Rome in September 1980. She was the assistant treasurer for two years and then assumed the duties of general treasurer for the next eight years.

She accepted the position of finance/development staff member at St. Peter Cathedral in Belleville, Illinois. After five years, she became manager at Cardinal Ritter Senior Service’s DuBourg House, a residential care facility in St. Louis. This position was followed by working in the finance office at Notre Dame High School and later as secretary for Notre Dame Preschool, both on the Sancta Maria in Ripa campus. Sister Rose Miriam transition to Veronica House at The Sarah Community in Bridgeton in 2011. She was transferred to Anna House in 2019.

Sister Rose Miriam was remembered as a prayerful person with a ready smile and a generous heart, willing to assist wherever needed. She had the gift of friendship and enjoyed playing cards and being with her friends. She was intelligent and very organized. She was supportive of those who worked with her or to whom she ministered. Her international experience gave her a global vision and an openness to others.

Sister Rose Miriam was preceded in death by her parents, Rose Ann and Leo Wegman, her brothers, Jack and Leroy, and her sister, Jeanette Woody.

Burial was in Sancta Maria in Ripa Cemetery.