Mariam Cohen was born in 1911, the second daughter of Max and Louisa Brenner. There were six daughters and one son Victor, in the Brenner family, all stalwart members of the Norwich Jewish community who are sadly missed today. Minda, the youngest daughter still lives in London. Mariam married her husband Percy in 1932 and had one son, John. At the start of the war, Mariam and Percy took in an Austrian refugee, Kurt, who lived with the family for many years. Kurt was featured in a film in the nineties as well as Mariam, and she was interviewed for the film and went to the premiere in London and met Prince Charles, a highlight of her later years.
Mariam was a great family person, sadly widowed very young she devoted herself to her other sisters and her son’s family. She looked after her mother, always known by the family as Mama, and cared for her until her death in 1978. She helped her sisters, Phyllis and Pearl when they were sick.
She drove from the age of 15 and only very reluctantly gave up her car when she had to go into a care home, although over a twenty year period she did an average of just 23 miles a week! This was calculated by her grandson, Adam. She loved to play bridge and looking after her garden and enjoying visits from her three grandsons and later, great grandsons and great granddaughters. Mariam was a truly wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt and friend and is sadly missed by them all and by the Norwich community.
The Cohen/Brenner Family